Xenosaga: Memory of Lightwaves & FightingDreamers
by Also Sprach Mina
Summary: Shane, your everyday 17 year old teen, plays Xenosaga Ep. I until the lights go out as she is fighting Sophie Peithos. After her entire family and neighborhood disappear, Shane finds herself in the world of Xenosaga. Will she be able to get out?
1. Goddamn Lights

Note: Also Sprach Mina does not own Xenosaga--Namco does--but she does own Shane. Be warned, though, for this contains complete randomness by the author and character.

**Chapter One: Goddamn Lights**

In the backwoods of northern Louisiana, inside a small yet comfy one-story house, there was a girl here who absolutely, adoringly, OBSESSIVELY loved the Xenosaga--

''Kuso...DIE ALREADY!!''

--series. One night, when the air was cold enough where you could see your breath and your feet and hands (though covered up) were frozen to the core, and where your face was numb. The girl, dubbed Shane sat on her small bed as her fingers quickly moved to counteract with the movements on the screen of her television. She was playing Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht. Shane was at the final part of the game (where you're in Proto Merkerbah after the Song of Nephillim) and cursed Albedo to infinite hell for releasing the fricking giant gnosis Sophie Peithos on Shion, J.R., and chaos (Shane's party). 

Numerous curse words came out as whispers, her teeth clenched in an concerned/conctrated look, and eyes narrowed to the point where her brown eyes could be seen as small black orbs.

''Oh COME ON!!'' She yelled, her black hair in front of her eyes as Shion's Spell Ray only caused about 99 damage. She then made a dive onto the bed as she used J.R.'s Storm Waltz (which caused 1200 damage). She had the monster gnosis on the run but then...

_BZZT!!_ Complete darkness. Then a loud roar of disappointment flew from Shane's lips along with cursing.

''Damnit, what the hell happened?! The weather forecast said it wasn't going to rain tonight! Maybe its' a loose limb or something..''

She blindly felt in her pocket for her blue Razor with the Vector emblem on the front of it and looked at the time. 10:53PM. Shane groaned and used the phone as a light source. She figured her mom, dad, or evil little sister would have said something by now. She gulped down what seemed like fear and climbed out of the bed slowly. Her feet touched the darkened carpet as she walked and looked out to the hall way and into the other rooms. Shane walked into the hallway.

''Mom? Dad? ...Evil Antichrist sibling?'' She called out. The only response was silence.

Chapter One: End. _(Yes, it's short, I know...what happened to Shane's family, guys? Anyone who wishes to guess? Well, while you get your minds wrapped around that, leave reviews and comments for me!)_


	2. Swallowed Up by Cathedral Ship

**Chapter Two: Swallowed Up by Cathedral Ship**

As we return to our story, we left Shane in the engulfing darkness of her own home, listening to nothing but silence and her heartbeat.

_Ba-bump..._

_Ba-bump..._

The dark haired girl shook her head as she walked to the end of the hallway. She wiped her now sweaty hands on her dark blue sweatpants and glanced around the dark living room. She looked back at the hallway, darkness wrapped around the walls and doorways. Shane gulped as she thought she heard the sound of someone's footsteps. ''Don't worry, Shane,'' she said to herself, ''it's just Mom looking for candles.'' She smiled sightly and walked to the stairs that led to the den. As this happened, a pair of red, gleaming eyes stared from the ceiling in the darkness at Shane's back.

She carefully stepped down the steps, looking around. ''Dad? Are you in here?'' No answer. ''Kuso...where the hell are you guys?!'' ''They are not here,'' a quiet voice said in the darkness. Shane's senses immediately kicked into high gear as she turned around to meet the stare of a little girl with long orange hair wearing a white dress and a cross around her neck.

''Uh...who the hell..?'' She stuttered and fell back on her butt. Shane's eyes had to adjust to the darkness and to the glowing light that silloutted the girl's small form. ''Hang on...you...I've seen you..'' The girl looked at Shane as she stood up. ''You're from Xenosaga!! You're Nephillim!'' she exclaimed.

The girl now known as Nephillim nodded. ''Yes. Shane, I have something important to tell you.'' The dark haired young woman kneeled down to her height, looking at her. ''What is it? My family...where are they? And why'd the lights go out?'' Nephillim looked at Shane with a sort of blank stare. ''You, Shane, have been chosen...'' She blinked then tilted her head.

'' 'Chosen'? Whoa, look, Nephy, I'm not like Shion, KOS-MOS, or the others. I don't have Ether abilities and Tech Attacks!'' Nephillim just looked at Shane. ''It does not matter. You will recieve powers of your very own soon...'' With that said, the little girl vanished. Shane reached out where she was only to touch nothing. ''Kuso...'' she muttered as she looked around.

''Okay...there's 3 reasons why the lights went out: 1. A loose wire 2. A freak accident...maybe and 3. I might be hungry..SO HOW THE FUCKING HELL DID I SEE NEPHILLIM FROM XENOSAGA?!?!'' She grabbed her hair and ruffled it to the point where she would have been classified as a fluffball. By doing this, she dropped her Razor phone on the floor. ''Damnit...''

Shane bent down and picked it up slowly. This is where it becomes interesting. She stood back up and flipped the phone open. She turned around to look at her surroundings. That is, until she met face to face with a Lizardman gnosis. Shane looked at the snarling monster, a hungry and crazed look in its' eyes. ''Hey there,'' she said slowly, ''Nice evil monster with...big...sharp...teeth.'' The gnosis let out an ear-splitting roar as she screamed along the same frenquency. She immediately did the only thing a normal person would do in that kind of situation: either run or push the attacker out of the way. She chose option 2. Shane pushed the Lizardman down and ran towards the backdoor, unlocking and opening it hurriedly.

She ran outside and into the hood of her mom's car. Shane landed onto the ground with a small thud. She yelled out in pain after landing on her right shoulder. She sat up, holding her arm and looked at the doorway. The Lizardman roared as it tried to rush at Shane, only to get stuck in the door's small frame. It tried to get out of the doorway only to break the wooden frame, making the girl jump up in response. ''What the hell's going on?!'' She cried out. Shane turned to hear a roar and looked back to see an Ogre and a Cerberus gnosis walking towards her. ''Crud,'' the girl whispered as she ran towards the darkened road. She winced at the rocks pinching into her feet, the gnosis walking towards her with hunger in their gleaming eyes. Shane looked up at the sky only to see darkness. She stopped as she felt a drop of water hit her in the middle of her head. ''AH! What the...?'' Shane looked up at the sky again only to see the sky moving like it was alive. ''Hang on,'' she said to herself. ''I'm...I'm not going crazy, am I?'' She stepped onto the road and felt something wet under her feet. ''...I am...this so isn't real!'' Shane ran down the ''road'' and slammed into something hard. She fell down onto the ground, laying on her back.

''Ow...wait...in Xenosaga Ep. I, that planet...it was...'' A look of complete shock went on her face as she sat up fast. She looked to her side to see the handles of a bike jutting out of the ground, a red Honda attached to a tree. ''Oh man...my home..'' Shane whispered. ''It...it got turned into a Cathedral Ship gnosis...wait. HOW THE HELL DID I GET INSIDE AND SURVIVE?! On a further note: WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!''

Chapter Two End _(Okay...I'm sorry if it seems I rushed to the end of this chapter. I don't know how Shane got inside and survived inside a Catherdral Ship gnosis. More of this strange phenomeona will be explained fully in the next chapter. Leave reviews and comments, please!)_


	3. Awakening of Shane's Ether

**Chapter Three: Awakening of Shane's Ether and Tech Attacks**

When we left our so-called heroine, she was trying to come to terms with her situation. She had hidden herself inside what was left of the garage as she ripped off the bloodied sleeve from her shirt. She used whatever cloth was in the garage's first aid kit. Why a first aid kit was in the garage is beyond anyone's guess. Shane sighed, taking out her cellphone and immediately called 911.

''All lines are busy, please call back later,'' the operator said.

She called 911 again.

''All lines are still busy, please call back later.''

''Damnit..'' Shane called 911 the third time.

''Didn't you _fucking_ hear me!?''

''...What?''

_''THE LINES ARE BUSY!'' _

The dark haired girl groaned loudly and leaned against the wall. She let her hand fall to the concrete floor, holding her phone. ''Why is this happening to me..? Did I anger God somehow? And where the hell is a weapon when I need one?!'' She covered her mouth, looking around outside. The 3 gnosis she encountered earlier were walking around. She held her right shoulder, praying to herself that they couldn't smell blood. Shane sat back down and looked at her father's hunting locker. ''Dad's safe..'' She stood up, walking over to the locker and grabbed the lock. She pulled on it then hit it with her fist, exclaiming in pain as she cursed herself.

''OWWW!!! Goddamn lock! Break already!'' Shane grabbed a nearby wrench and began to bang on the lock angrily. 2-3 minutes later, the lock broke and fell onto the floor. She opened the locker slowly. She saw all of her father's hunting weapons: a shotgun, 3 rifles, and an bow and arrows.

''Okay...the gnosis are basically salt and I probaby can't kill them...'' Shane had grabbed her father's bow and arrow. ''But I'll defend myself!''

Even though she and her father went hunting together, she mainly practiced with the bow and arrow by herself in the woods. She had made a make-shift shooting range with the trees painted with a red target in the center. With every shot, she hit near or at the center of the target. Shane held the acoustic long-range bow in her hand as she placed the arrows in a bag on her back.

''I won't turn into an pillar of salt!'' She exclaimed.

* * *

Shane ran outside, the 3 gnosis stopping and turning to meet her fiery gaze. She took out one arrow and aimed it at the Orge gnosis. ''Hit the mark..!'' She let go as the arrow flew at the gnosis and hit the car behind it. The Orge roared, swinging his large arms back and forth to show his strength. Shane cursed to herself. She had forgotten about the Hilbert Effect.

''Damnit! Aw, what I would give for a 100-series Observational Realian!!'' She took two arrows and aimed it at both the Cerberus and Lizardman gnosis, shooting them in the most fatal place only to watch the arrows go right through them. She backed up and winced at the pain on her fingers. The arrows' ends that she grabbed had slit her left index and middle finger.

''Guess there's one thing left to do...RUN LIKE HELL AND HOPE I SURVIVE!!''

As she said this, she turned and ran towards the woods, the 3 gnosis hot on her trail. Shane continued to run, turning a corner and nearly slipping in the process. She looked back at the 3 gnosis as she continued to run.

_Oh man...I can't...keep running...my legs._

She started to slow down, sweat trickling down the side of her face.

_They're on fire..._

She finally slowed to walking as she walked over to the large tree and slumped against it. She held her chest, her heart beating wildly. Almost as if it were to burst through her chest at any second. She looked through half-closed eyes to see the 3 gnosis and a few more walking towards her. Shane gritted her teeth and growled.

''I can't...I won't die like this,'' she managed to say._ ''I can't..!!''_

She lowered her head as she felt a tingling feeling in her hands. She looked at them then watched her palms glow a fluorecent blue. ''W-what the..?'' Her eyes widened, a sharp pain going through her entire body. She held her arms and groaning in pain.

''What's...what's wrong with me..?!'' Shane let out a blood-curdling scream as the gnosis surrounded her. After that, everything turned bright white and then a loud booming noise as she screamed out the name: Heavenly Explosion. Shane's world turned black.

Chapter Three: End _(I believe I rushed with this one. What the hell was that power Shane was using, you ask? Continue reading and find out. Please R&R!)_


	4. Saved by the White Haired Psycho

**Chapter Four: Saved by the White-haired Psycho (WTF?!)**

In the deep reaches of space, the E.S. Simion was heading to where the large Cathedral Ship was. Supposedly there was an Zohar Emulator there. As it arrived, there was nothing but remnants of the planet that was the Cathedral Ship.

Inside the white custom-made A.G.W.S, a white-haired man with a crazed look on his face sat at the top of the unit, thus controlling the weapons and such. At the bottom, a little girl with milky white hair sat as she checked the surrounding areas for the Emulator.

''Observation complete. There are no signs of a Zohar Emulator is in the vicinity, sir,'' she said in a quiet yet robotic-like voice.

The man chuckled insanely as he looked out the corner of his eye. He noticed on the computer screen a young woman's body floating in the vacuum of space.

''Well, now. A survivor?'' He said as he grinned. He pressed forward on the controls and flew over to the girl. His violet eyes widened. She wore clothes from 4,000 years past. A bow was gripped tightly in her right hand; clothes torn her ordeal. Her right shoulder was bandaged and somewhat bloody. Her hands were slightly burned and her bare feet dirty. But what made the man's eyes widen was the fact of her hair color.

It was the shade of milky white. Just like the little girl inside his A.G.W.S unit.

''An 99-Series Observational Realian? ...No..she's older than that.'' He made the hand of the A.G.W.S unit move to her as the girl's body floated into the machine's hand. The girl was none other than our heroine, Shane.

* * *

_Ow...I'm in so much pain right now...and I'm cold...really cold.. _Shane thought to herself. She felt she couldn't move and she could barely breathe some.

''How could she have survived floating out there in space?''

''I'm not sure. But the young woman's still breathing, barely.''

_Who's there? Where am I? _She heard someone say. She tried to lift her head but couldn't. She opened her eyes halfway only to be greeted by a blinding white light.

''Commander Margulis!'' She heard a man's voice say. _Margulis...? _''The girl opened her eyes!'' Shane then felt a strong, firm hand grab her chin and turn her head to the side. She tried to focus on the blurred figure in front of her.

''You're safe now, young lady,'' the voice said. ''You're in good hands.'' Shane groaned in her unconcious state and blacked out again.

* * *

Inside of a brightly lit room, Shane laid on an operating table covered up with a thermal blanket. Her hands and shoulders were bandaged. Against the wall were her bow and arrow. She had an I.V. in her arm and an oxygen mask on her face. A group of doctors and nurses stood around the table as they looked at her body.

''She seems to be responding to the treatment, Commander,'' a nurse said as she looked to the tall, burgandy haired man with a scar on his face. He nodded and looked to Shane's face. He looked at her milky white hair and dark skin.

''Is she human or is she an Realian?''

The doctor looked to him. ''She's human. Apparently what happened to her must have frightened her...or...''

Margulis looked at the doctor. ''Or?''

''She could be like that U.R.T.V that brought her here.'' The doctor and the commander remembered that the U.R.T.V, Albedo, and his Kirshwasser Realian, brought Shane into the infirmary. The white haired man laid the girl on the operating table as if he was trying to throw her on the table.

''I found this girl in space where the Zohar Emulator was,'' he told them. ''I thought she was like my little Kirshwasser here.'' He grinned and placed a hand on the Realian's head. She stood there, staring forward with no emotion on her face.

The doctor looked at Albedo and said: ''Are you a fucking retard or what?''

''It varies,'' he replied then laughed insanely.

Regardless, the doctors treated Shane to the best of their abilities and reported it to Margulis. Which puts them in the present state now. The commander looked to the guards. ''Take her to one of the holding cells and have Pelligri find the girl some...appropriate clothing.'' The guards nodded as they walked over and took Shane to the cell.

_The pain...it's unbearable..._

_Searing hot pain...my hands and arms...!_

Shane screamed, putting her hands in an 'x' position like she was shielding herself. ''Don't kill me!!'' She cried out. She opened one eye and looked around. She was inside a dark room, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She gulped as she remembered the cell that MOMO was in. ''Damnit, not again...'' Shane looked down at her bandaged hands and gripped her hands closed. She immediately winced from the pain then narrowed her eyes.

''That's right...the gnosis...'' She closed her eyes, remembering the monsters that attacked her. She slammed her hands on the bed. ''Damnit, if only I wasn't weak...! Mom...Dad...baby sister--wait. Nevermind, that little brat had it coming.'' She sighed and lowered her head, crying to herself. Shane looked out the corner of her eye to see a strand of milky white hair and grabbed it. ''...The fuck?'' She climbed out of the bed slowly, stumbling some due to the medication. She looked down at the clothes she wore: a black tank top with black pants. She steadied herself and walked over to the door, looking outside. ''Hello? I'm starving and I'd like to go to the bathroom, please?'' One of the guards looked to Shane then grabbed a radio from his pocket.

''Sir? She's awake now.'' The guard said and looked back at Shane.

She blinked at him then gave him the middle finger. The guard gasped, growling from behind his mask. ''You little bitch...!'' Shane reached from inbetween the cell window and grabbed the guard by his mask. ''Who are you calling a 'little bitch'?!'' She wrenched him forward, making him slam into the door several times. ''Now unlock the door!''

The guard quickly complied and unlocked the door. He pointed his gun at Shane when she walked out of the cell. She quickly grabbed the gun as he shot up into the ceiling. She slammed the palm of her hand into his chin, then kicking him into the wall. She looked at her hands and gripped them closed tighty.

''I feel...powerful...but why is that?'' She grabbed her bangs, looking at them. ''I changed...''

As this was happening, Albedo watched from his A.M.W.S. unit, E.S. Simion and laughed insanely which his Kirschwasser cringed at his laugh. ''Amazing,'' he whispered. ''She's a powerful mortal--no--we're both similar..!'' A wide, toothy grin came onto his face.

_''We're the same!!''_

Chapter Four: End (_ASM: Ah, it seems to me the story's becoming a bit interesting. What do you think?_

_Shane: It sucks. _

_ASM: Noone asked you. Besides, you'll meet someone you like later on._

_Shane: squeaks wirh excitement Please read and comment.)_


	5. Crazy Dance

**Chapter Five: Crazy Dance**

Shane found herself inside the U-TIC Organization base, Pleroma. She remembered this on personal experience. She ran down the hallway to the door, carrying the semi-automatic gun the unconcios guard gracefully gave up to her.

_I'm completely screwed if I meet up with ol' Scarface.._ She thought to herself. She ran towards one of the open doors and gasped. She skidded to a stop, nearly falling as she put her back to the wall. Two guards were walking towards the door, talking to one another.

_1..._

_..2..._

_..3!!_

Shane jumped out in front of the two guards, pointing the gun at them. ''Put your hands up, now, and drop your weapons!'' The guards put down their guns as they held their hands up. Maybe those years of watching cop shows paid off. ''Alright, you two. I want you to tell me something.'' The guards looked up at her.

''Where is the nearest bathroom and where's the cafeteria?''

The two guards looked at one another then pointed behind them. ''It's down the hall. Take a left at the next door--that's the restroom--and take another left down the hall to the big doors at the end of the hall.'' Shane motioned them to face the wall as she walked pass them and ran down the hall. The guards immediately took out their radioes, alerting them of the girl escaping.

* * *

As she ran down the hall, she looked up to hear loud, ear-splitting alarms going off. ''AH! W-what the fu--?'' ''Attention all personnel. Be on the lookout of a young woman, 17 years of age, short milky white hair and dark skin. Considered armed and dangerous,'' the male voice said on the intercom. Shane narrowed her eyes, growling._ Considered armed and dangerous...hell, yeah I'm dangerous! _She thought and ran down the hall, turning left.

She stopped to see about 10 or more guards pointing machine guns at her. She put down the gun and put her hands up. A blonde haired woman with dark skin walked out of the guard's flanks, raising her hand. ''Put down your guns, men.'' Shane looked at the woman as she walked over. The woman smiled some in an effort to calm the girl down.

Yeah, right.

''My name is Pellegri, young miss. I'd like to ask you a few questions and tell you of your situation.''

She looked at Pellegri. ''Alright,'' she said. ''But first things first: I need the bathroom. And could you feed me, please?''

The blonde woman nodded as she led the way to the restroom and cafeteria. She glanced at Shane's hair and her bandages.

_This girl...she isn't normal in the 'human' sense..._

What was your first clue?

Chapter Five: End _(To tell you the truth, I'm past this part in the game. Also, its a REALLY short chapter. Please R&R. Thank you.)_


	6. Floating in Space in an Stolen AGWS

**Chapter Six: Floating in Space in an (Stolen) A.G.W.S Unit**

In the interrgation room, after relieving herself and getting warm food in her belly, Shane sat at a silver table with the calculating glare of Pellegri and Margulis on her. ''..Could you please not stare at me? I have a problem with that...'' She rubbed her hands together, biting her lip. Margulis took this as a sign of nervousness and chuckled some.

''Forgive us--Shane, was it? We're just extremely amazed that you could survive in the cold vacuum of space. Also, you were floating at at the site where a Cathedral Ship gnosis was...'' He trailed off on the last sentence, looking at Shane's milky white hair. Her hand went into her head and looked at him, confused.

''I got a question for you. Why are my hands bandaged and how'd the hell my hair color changed? It was black before all this crazy crap happened!''

Pellegri looked at her commander as he leaned down, his hands on the table to meet the girl's confusing eyes. ''You, young lady, are a miracle. Your hair color change is probably due to the Ether powers laying dormant inside your body.'' In response, Shane stood up from the table.

_Whoa, wait. Did he say what I think he said?_ ''Did you just say...'Ether'?''

''Yes, I did,'' Margulis told her. ''Why do you ask, Ms. Shane?''

_Well to tell you the truth, I'm from a planet called 'Earth' but it would be called 'Lost Jeruselum' here...whereever here is._ ''I-I never heard of it, let alone how to use it.'' She told them with her best honest face on. ''It's the truth.''

The U-TIC commander looked at her then chuckled to himself. ''I think you're lying to me. Your hands and upper arms have first-degree burns on them. Also you had clutched in your hand was a composite long bow. Did you or did you not fight against the gnosis, knowing full well that you didn't have a machine or Realian that could produce the Hilbert Effect?''

Shane bit her lip. ''...Look, buddy. All I want to do is go home, but knowing that--'' she stopped mid-sentence. _What the hell am I doing? I can't tell them that I'm from Earth and I was inside a Cathedral Ship gnosis fighting blindly..._ ''..But knowing that,'' she continued, ''I probably would've died.'' Margulis looked at her then chuckled lightly. ''Okay then. Take her back to the holding cell. Also, Pellegri?''

''Sir?''

''I want you to go after the 100-Observational Series Realian, MOMO, and bring her back here...''

As Shane was escorted out of the interregation room, she had looked back when they said MOMO's name. _..MOMO-chan?_

* * *

The now milky white haired young woman sat in the holding cell, looking at the door. ''..MOMO...ha, this is crazy!'' She fell back on the bed only to hit her head against the wall. The wall recieved a cursing of many hells then a punch which dented it. 

_There's no way..._

She held her head, rubbing the back of it gently. She gritted her teeth.

_There's no fucking way...!_

Shane felt a sharp pain go through her arms as she screamed. She held out her arms, shaking uncontrollably. ''M-my arms...what the hell...?!'' That's when her ears were invaded by an ever-rising ringing noise. The guard knocked on the door. ''Hey! Shut the hell up in there, you brat!'' He looked inside to see her laying on the bed. She looked like she had passed out.

''Aw, man...'' He unlocked the door and walked inside. ''Oi. Oi, wake up, brat.'' He nudged her with his gun in her side. Shane let out a small whimper, turning her head to the side as her milky white hair fell into her eyes. Behind the guard's mask, a perverted look came onto his face. _Well...she's unconcious...so.._ He reached for her breast and poked it gently. It was firm and bounced at his touch. The guard chuckled to himself then grabbed her breast.

''Good thing you're unconcious, girl, or else--''

''Or else I'd slap the shit out of you?''

He snapped out of his perverted trance, moving away to see Shane's eyes open. But they had a red tint to them, even though the lighting was dim. She immediately jumped up and tackled the guard, slamming her knee into his chest. He coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. ''W-what the fuck are you...?'' She stood up and ran her hand through her gray hair.

''Something that is not between human and nonhuman..'' With that said, the guard blacked out. She stepped over the guard and walked out of the holding cell. She walked calmly, avoiding the guards as she did this.

* * *

_Now if I can find that A.G.W.S hanger..._

''Hey, stop right there!'' A guard yelled. Shane turned around and held out her hand. _Why don't you stop first?!_ A white light shined in the palm of her hand, a small ball forming. ''White Reflection!'' she cried out as the light shot out of her palm, flying at the guard. The guard moved back only to get hit face first with the white energy. It burned through his mask as he yelled out in pain and fell to his knees on the floor. Shane stepped back, her eyes wide at the reaction.

''What the hell...did I just do?!'' She looked back to see more guards running towards her. She gritted her teeth and jumped over the railing, letting out a cry of distress. Shane landed on the floor and rolled to where she would get less pain from her legs. She immediately got up only to find a sword in her face.

''Stand, young woman,'' a harsh voice said.

''...Margulis.'' She looked up to meet the man's hardened gaze and stood up right. ''I won't let you leave her, Shane. You're too valuable.'' She gripped her fists. ''And how am I valuable? Am I like that Realian MOMO?'' Margulis looked at her, lowering his sword slightly. ''Actually, you're quite different from her. You're more special and your a formidable fighter.'' Shane laughed at him. She knew there was something wrong. It wasn't like her to laugh like she did...

''I plan on testing you of your abilities...also, I'll make sure you don't leave.''

She did her best to stay calm and to pull off a J.r.-esque grin. She went into an taijutsu stance (what years of watching old japanese movies with her older brother would do), narrowing her eyes.

''Come, Margulis, so I can kick your scary-looking ass!''

* * *

The guards of Pleroma watched in awe of the fight that took place inside the A.G.W.S hanger. Margulis, with years of sword-fighting under his belt, fought against Shane, who had little to no idea what the hell she was doing, was keeping up with him. Whenever he made a thrust towards her side, the girl immediately jumped to the side and smacked his arm in an effort to knock the sword out of his hand. He then swung the sword at her head, making her duck and jump back. 

''That kid's amazing,'' one of the guards said.

''Commander Margulis can barely keep up with her!''

Shane had jumped back about a few feet away, her breathing coming in short gasps. She looked a bit heavy but not that much. She could hardly believe what she was doing. She gripped her fists tightly and ran at the U-TIC commander with amazing speed. She then did a front flip towards him as she jumped up and kicked at his face only to be blocked by his arm. He drug his sword on the floor to swing at the girl's face. She had moved back, wisps of her hair falling to the floor.

''Damn you...you fucked up my ends!''

''That's not the only thing I'll fuck up,'' he replied as he held out his hand. A ball of reddish-orange appeared, growing each second that passed. Shane rushed towards him and let out a battle cry. The ball shot from Margulis' hand, flying at the girl at top speed. She gripped her fist closed and held it out to make contact with it, making her stop in the process. Her bandages began to burn as the onlookers gasped.

''That's Commander Margulis's..!!''

''Everyone, get out of here!'' A guard yelled.

Shane felt her knuckles burning, heat against flesh. She winced in pain. Ow...it hurts so much..! she thought to herself. She took a step forward, groaning. Margulis chuckled to himself. ''This girl,'' he said, ''she's almost like a super-soldier.'' Her eyes narrowed as the force of the attack began to push her. She kept her balance, gripping her toes into the floor.

_I have to get out...I can't stay here...! _She growled as her eyes turned into a red-violet hue.

_I have to win!!_

Shane forced the ball to fly back and hit the A.G.W.S hanger doors. The ball broke into small particles then disappeared, leaving a dent. She breathed heavily, making a run for it to the nearest machine. Margulis watched her run then yelled out: ''Stop her! Don't let her get away!!'' The guards ran after her, shooting at the floor in an effort to aim at her legs. She ran to a console and randomly typed in numbers. Once the console refused her, she slammed her fist into it. ''A-access a-approved,'' the computer voice stuttered as it crackled. The A.G.W.S hatch opened up. She climbed up the steps to get inside.

''Geez, there's more room in here than I thought.'' Shane ducked her head from the bullets that were aimed at her. She felt a sharp pain go through her left shoulder as she screamed out in pain. She looked to see blood land on the arm of the machine. She then looked at her shoulder to see a hole about the size of a small jawbreaker. Her eyes widened and she winced.

''I--ah...got shot,'' she murmured slowly.

Shane climbed inside the machine as the hatch closed, the hissing of air compressing to keep oxygen inside for the pilot. She looked around her surroundings, hearing bullets ricochet off the A.G.W.S. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire. ''...Damn, I don't know how to pilot this thing!!'' She turned around, only to stumble and fall onto the floor. Hard. Ow...nice going, 'pilot'.. She stood up slowly as she saw two guards get inside two of the humanoid machines. Shane looked around for a potential weapon. She looked over and saw a large laser gun that the A.G.W.S units used in battles. ''Aha!'' She jumped forward, grabbing the gun and shooting the machines in their legs. She watched them fall as she ran towards the hanger doors.

''Don't let her get away!!'' Margulis yelled.

She aimed the gun at the release hatch, shooting at it two times with good accurancy. The hanger doors opened slowly as she ran towards it. ''Come on, open up faster!!'' The guards continued to shoot at her but to no avail. She reached the door and pushed one of them wider, slipping her way through and into the coldness of space again. She activated the boosters on the A.G.W.S, flying off into the stars. ''See you jerks later!!''

The U-TIC commander growled lowly as he sheathed his sword. ''Hold your fire,'' he said coldly. He walked up the stairs to where the exit doors were and smiled to himself.

''Shane...you are what we need.''

Chapter Six: End _(Well! That was fun, wasn't it? Your __fight and pervert scene, a look at what powers Shane has, and Shane's first time piloting an A.G.W.S unit _ It'll only get better and better. R & R! PS: Oh and the attack Shane used--White Reflection--is the name of a song from Gundam Wing.)


	7. Rescued by the Elsa

**Chapter Seven: Rescued by the Elsa**

_When I was playing the video game, it was about 10:53PM...it's gotta be midnight, now..._

In the dark depths of space, the A.G.W.S unit floated with Shane inside it. She was thinking about her current situation. She was tired, in a whole lot of pain, and bleeding. Her feet and entire body felt numb and cold, probably colder than back at home.

Home.

The home planet she, her family, and about a billion people lived on for many years. The planet that was turned into a Cathedral Ship gnosis that she destroyed. ..Or did she? She couldn't remember, but the guilt that churned in her stomach was there.

_Mom...Dad...baby sister..._

''Kuso...I'm so stupid!'' She banged her head against the head cushion. She felt her eyes water up, warm tears streaming down her face. ''God...someone help me...'' Shane looked at the monitor. She didn't know how to operate the machine but she knew how to signal for help.

* * *

On board a white and blue ship, a blonde navigator looked at his monitor to see a distress signal on the screen. He immediately started typing. He then looked back to a man sitting on top of a chair with a red cap on.

''Hey, Captain?''

''What is it now? Is the cargo room on fire?'' the captain asked in a gruff voice.

''No...we got a distress signal. It's from an A.G.W.S unit.''

The captain looked at the navigator then took off his hat and scratched his head.

''Alright, Tony? Go to where that distress signal was last heard from.''

From the pilot's seat, a man waved his arm in response then flew to the distress signal.

* * *

_Damn...my entire left arm is numb now..._

_..I hope someone got my message..._

''..ey..''

_Let me sleep for a little bit..._

''..ello?''

_A...little bit..._

A loud banging noise woke up a startled Shane as she looked around. ''I didn't do it!! I didn't kick the stupid ball into that bitch's face!!'' she yelled out. She breathed heavily and looked at her surroundings slowly. She blinked a few times, seeing that she was inside the cargo hold of a ship. She opened the hatch and climbed out of it slowly.

That was when she was greeted with a gun to her face.

''Oh, crap.''

A woman with long blue hair and red eyes stood in front of Shane, a gun to the girl's head. ''Uh, hi lady with the gun to my head...'' ''Analysis complete. The girl is not a threat,'' the woman said in an robotic monotone voice. ''But the girl is wounded from a gunshot wound to the left shoulder. She has lost a substantial amount of blood and is barely concious. She has a fever of 100.'' She groaned, sitting down on the floor. ''Thanks for sharing that...'' The woman lowered her gun then let it go as it vanished. She stepped forward, kneeling down. The girl looked at her.

''What are you doing?''

''I have been asked to escort you to proper quarters so that your wound may be treated.''

''...Alright..'' Shane climbed onto the woman's back as she stood up. She looked at the woman's facial features then realized who it was in her feverish state. ''..You're...KOS--'' After that, she blacked out from blood loss and her fever.

* * *

''My goodness, that wound is so bad...it's amazing she was still concious!''

_Oh, no, not again..._

''Do you think she'll be okay?''

''Yes, she will. But we have to get to a medical facility soon. Allen, pass me another blanket.'' Shane felt a cool blanket go over her body.

''I'll go tell the captain of her condition.'' the sounds of small running footsteps left the room.

_Wait, Allen? _Shane groaned as she opened her eyes slowly. She looked at the top bunk of a bed. ''..Where..?'' ''Oh! You're awake!'' She turned her head to the sweet voice of a young woman. A woman with light brown hair and green eyes with glasses on her face smiled at her. ''You're in safe hands.'' Shane raised her arm and held her head.

''Are you feeling a bit woozy?''

_Now I'm sure of it. I'm not crazy. Then again..._

''Yeah, kinda am,'' she said softly. She winced at the pain in her arm then held her shoulder to see it was cleanly bandaged. The woman sat beside the girl as she felt her forehead. ''Your fever's gone down,'' she said. ''You were shivering pretty badly...'' Shane nodded some. Yeah, I was in the coldness of space--again. ''So, who are and where am I?''

''Oh, sorry! I didn't even tell you when you first woke up. I'm Shion Uzuki and your on the cargo ship, the _Elsa __von Brabant_.''

_...It could be the fever..._

''...That's impossible..'' Shane felt her head get dizzy as she fell back onto the pillow. Shion gasped then shook the young girl. ''Are you alright?! Hey!'' A brown haired man walked inside of the room, walking over to Shion and the now unconcious Shane. ''Is she alright?'' Shion turned to the brown-haired, blue-eyed young man. ''She's alright. She woke up and talked with me but then she fainted when I told her my name and where she was, saying 'that's impossible'. ''

* * *

After she got done changing the ice pack on Shane's head, Shion walked out of the little cubical of the sleeping space. She stretched some and walked over to the sink. She washed her hands. ''That girl is so strange'' she said outloud. ''When she heard my name, that is. I wonder why...'' She turned to the sound of the doors hissing open to see a man with dark blonde hair wearing a Galaxy Federation Marine uniform walk in.

_Commander Cherenkov..._ ''Hello there, Commander.''

He looked over to Shion then walked to the cubical where Shane slept. ''Is this the girl who was inside the A.G.W.S?'' The Vector employee walked over, nodding. ''Yes, she was. I'm surprised she managed to get out an distress signal before falling unconcious again.'' Cherenkov looked at her milky white hair.

''Is she a Realian?''

''Huh? No, she isn't. KOS-MOS confirmed it when I was treating her wounds.'' Shion looked to the side some as she rested her hand against her chest some. _Even though she looks human, her eyes... _She remembered when Shane woke up the first time that her left eye was a red-violet color and her right eye was dark brown. He narrowed his eyes at the sleeping girl. ''Hmph.'' He turned and left out of the room, the doors hissing closed.

''Well, that was..awkward,'' Shion said. She looked to Shane as she stirred from her sleep. ''Miss?'' She groaned and opened her eyes. ''Whoo...what a dream..'' She looked at the light brown-haired woman who smiled at her.

''...Never mind.''

''Are you okay now, miss?''

''Never been better.'' She sat up in the bed and held her head. ''How long...?'' Shion walked over to her. ''You've been asleep for quite a while,'' she told the young girl. She chuckled some. ''Sorry if I fainted on you, Shion...my name's Shane.'' The Vector employee shook hands with her then sat down in the chair next to the bed. ''It's alright. You were still having complications from your fever.''

Fever? Oh..yeah.. Shane nodded in response as she felt her throat was dry. ''..Water, please,'' she said softly. Shion stood up and walked over to the table, picking up a pitcher of water and a glass. She walked back over to her, handing her the glass of ice cold water. Shane took it and drank it quickly.

''Man, that hit the spot,'' she whispered. She handed the glass back to Shion and stood up from the bed slowly. ''Shane, you should sit back down.'' She caught the girl's arm before she could hit face first into the floor. She looked at the light brown-haired woman then put her hand against the wall. ''You must be dizzy from the painkillers.'' ''Maybe,'' Shane told her as she stood upright. She walked--with Shion's help--to the table and sat down again.

''So, uh, where are we going?''

''To the Second Miltian star system,'' the Vector employee said. The milky-haired girl looked at Shion and nodded, laying her head down on the table. ''Oh goody..'' Shion blinked at her response. ''Oh, well...I'll tell everyone your awake now, okay?'' Shane nodded, scratching her head. She stood up from the table and walked out of the room. The milky white haired girl listened to the doors hiss closed. She sat up and looked at the ceiling.

_...Hang on, did we enter hyperspace yet?_

* * *

Shion walked to the bridge of the Elsa as the doors hissed open. She was greeted with ''Is she awake yet?'' from the captain. ''Yes, she's awake. Though she's still a bit incoherant..'' She looked to the brown haired man from before, walking over. ''Is there something wrong, Chief?'' She shook her head.

''No, there isn't. Though when Commander Cherenkov came in and looked at Shane--''

''Is that her name?''

''Yes. When he looked at her, it was a strange look, almost if she had dirt on her face...''

The captain looked at Shion as she spoke. ''Don't worry about it. That commander has a major stick up his ass, that's all,'' he told her. She sighed some. _Maybe you're right, Captain Matthews..._

* * *

Shane stumbled her way to the door, shivering slightly as she walked. She put her hands against the door, breathing heavily. ''Damnit...'' A confused look came onto her face as the doors opened and she fell onto the floor, face first. ''...Ow,'' she mumbled. ''I am having a really bad day..'' She lifted her head and looked around the ship. She stood up slowly, steadying herself so that she wouldn't fall again. Shane walked up the small flight of stairs.

It looked just like it looked on the inside in the game, except she could touch the walls and feel the floor under her feet.

''Wow'' couldn't even put what she saw in mere words.

The happy thought was broken when she heard a man arguing nearby. ''Eh?'' She walked stealthfully to where the arging was coming from. She looked around the right corner to see an U.M.N Terminal (as she saw from the game in cutscenes) and saw something else. She saw a man--the one she heard arguing--talking to an computer screen, his face in a look of distress.

''Please, sir...''

''No, Cherenkov,'' the familiar voice said.

Shane listened to the conversation as her eyes widened. Even though she was past this part in the game, she regconized the voices. She bit her lip then decided to act on her own will. She figured it was going to be risky, but she had to do it. She had to act like her normal self.

''GYAHHH!! PANCAKES, THEY STOLE MY HONDA!!!'' She screamed as she ran past the corridor and onto the bridge.

Cherenkov watched Shane run past him, after jumping from her screaming.

''That girl..''

''What girl?''

''Uh, well, Commander Margulis...the Elsa picked up a young woman inside an A.G.W.S unit, a gunshot wound to her shoulder. Margulis, on the computer screen, chuckled to himself some. ''I see...that girl just so happened to be at Pleroma.'' Cherenkov gasped slightly then gripped his fists some. ''If...I get her back to you--'' ''You will be rewarded, Cherenkov.''

* * *

Everyone on the bridge turned to the screaming to see the doors hiss open and Shane run inside. She heard Shion's voice say ''Shane, watch out! You're going to hit--'' She held her head lowered, eyes closed as she ran into a body. She and the person she ran into fell to the floor with a 'thud'.

''Ow...I'm so sorry, but someone--nani?''

She sat up to see that she had hit Allen, Shion's assistant. He was knocked out from hitting his head on the floor. Shane patted his face gently, looking at him. ''..Hey. Hey, wake up, man.'' He groaned then raised his hand to meet a warm and firm--wait a minute. He gripped it slightly to feel that it was soft to the touch but firm nonetheless. He opened his blue eyes to meet the cold glare of Shane.

''Get. Your. Hand. Off. My. A-S-S. NOW, DAMNIT!!''

''Ack!? I-I'm sorry, miss!!''

''You're not sorry!'' She yelled at him as she picked him up by the collar of his uniform, shaking him. Captain Matthews held his face, hiding his laughter from everyone; the navigator looked away, snickering; the pilot, Tony, had put the ship on autopilot to see what happened; Shion blushed and looked away; KOS-MOS watched with no emotion in her eyes or face. Another onlooker watched and smiled to himself.

''Allen, how could you? She's only 17!!'' The Vector employee said.

''B-but, Chief..!! She rammed into me and we both fell!''

Shane looked at him then got off. ''Sorry, buddy. No hard feelings?'' She held a hand out to him as she helped him up. He rubbed his head and nodded in thanks. ''It's okay...you're still suffering from the fever, right?'' She nodded some. Yeah...crazy, ain't I? Shion walked over to her and patted her shoulder. ''Shane, I want you to meet everyone.'' She pointed to everyone in the room.

''That's Captain Matthews.'' The captain nodded his head in Shane's direction. ''Nice to meet you, little lady,'' he said.

Shion pushed Shane to the blonde navigator. ''This is Hammer, the navigator of the Elsa.'' He held out a hand as she shook it. ''Hey there.''

Shion pointed to Allen, who was still shaking some from the fall and accidental groping. ''That's Allen, but you two have already met.'' Yeah...

''The pilot of the Elsa is Tony, who's over there.'' Shane looked to the head of dark blonde hair who held up his hand in response. Shion turned her around to nod to the white haired, dark-skinned boy who stood up.

''Hello there. My name's chaos.'' He told Shane as he held out his hand to her. She blushed slightly and took his hand. ''N-nice to meet you too...'' He smiled at Shane. Shion smiled then looked at her. ''Remember the blue-haired girl that brought you here?''

''Yeah...the scary-looking one?''

''Mmhm. That was KOS-MOS.'' Shane looked at her, trying her best to look confused. ''KOS-MOS? That an abrivation or somethin'?'' Even though, I know what it means... Shion nodded.

''It stands for Kosmos Obey Strategical Multiple Operation Systems,'' the Vector employee told her.

''Uh-huh, cool. Wish I had a name like that...'' Shion looked at Shane then chuckled some. ''At least it would be abriviated, Shane.'' The milky-haired girl nodded, smiling. She looked to everyone on the bridge then looked down some.

I've lost my home, friends, and family...oh crud..

''Hey, you didn't find a cellphone on me did you, Shion?!''

''Uh...well, no...'' Shane groaned and sat down on the floor. _Oh man...I must've left at in Pleroma... ''_Man, that phone cost me 100 bucks...not to mention the upgrades, too. I still had 2 more payments on it!''

Chapter Seven: End. _(Yeah...what a bad/corny ending. Will Shane ever get her phone back? Please R & R.)_


	8. Put to Work

**Chapter Eight: Put to Work**

_(Author's Note: If some of you are lost up until now, the fanfic takes place inbetween the first game. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day, guys.)_

Inside one of the many cabins on the Elsa, Shane laid on the floor looking at the ceiling with the lights off. She told Shion and the others she would rest a little bit more before getting up and walking about again. Her bright red-violet eyes flickered in the darkness as she sat up slowly. She placed one arm on her knee, looking at the wall.

''Okay, get a grip,'' she told herself. ''None of this is real...it's only a dream...right?'' If it was... She touched her bandaged shoulder. I would've been bleeding or in pain right now. Shane laid back down on the floor, closing her eyes.

''Shane...''

_Shut up._

''..Shane, wake up...''

_I said shut up. I'm trying to sleep._

''Shane. You must fight until the very end...protect yourself...''

''Didn't I say I was trying to sleep?! Shit!'' The milky haired girl sat up, swinging at an unknown person. She opened her eyes and looked around. A dream...? Shane stood up as she walked to the light switch, turning on the lights. She looked around the room to see noone was there.

_Damn, now I'm hallucinating..._

* * *

Shion walked to the cabin where Shane was as she hummed to herself._ I hope she got enough sleep_, she thought to herself. _She was upset about losing her phone... _She reached the cabin and knocked on the door. ''Shane? Are you awake?'' She heard movement in the room and stepped back some when the door slid open. Shane stood in the doorway, her hair dishelved. 

''Oh, were you sleeping?'' The milky haired girl scratched the back of her head. ''Yeah, kinda,'' she replied. Shion smiled some. ''You must be starving. Come on, I've made rice and curry for everyone.'' She heard her stomach growling loudly as she held her stomach. ''Alright. I better eat before my stomach caves in.'' The two laughed, walking to the Elsa's resturnant.

* * *

''Ah, so there's our sleeping guest!'' Captain Matthews yelled as Shane and Shion walked inside the resturant. Shane waved some as everyone on the ship turned to look at her. ''Don't yell, Captain. She's half-awake right now.'' 

He had held up his hands in response, nodding his head to Shane. ''Sorry about that,'' he said.

''Ahh, it's alright. I got a little sister who does the same thing to me.'' Damnit, what's wrong with me?! I shouldn't say anything about my home... Shion turned to her, helping her walk down the stairs. ''You have a younger sister?'' Shane nodded. ''Yeah. A little stinker, too.'' The milky haired girl walked over to a table and sat down. She watched the light-brown haired woman walk over to the stove, fixing her a plate. She yawned softly as she felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulders.

''Eh? Nani (what)?'' She looked up at the dark blonde who has a grin on his face. ''Hey there.''_ Hi, sexy blonde who is considered a incubus in disguise--SHUT UP, SHANE. _''..Hey,'' she said, moving her hair out of her face.

''I'm Tony. We didn't get to meet properly before on the bridge.''

''Yeah, you were piloting the ship...why are you next to me?'' Tony chuckled to himself as he moved some the hair out of her face. ''Well, when I saw you being brought in by that android girl, I couldn't help to notice you white hair.''

_Is he doing what I think he's doing?_

''Oh really?'' Shane asked him. ''Or was it something else you were noticing?'' She watched him as he chuckled to himself again. ''You could say that. Say, when we reach Second Miltia...you, me, and a hotel suite.''

_He is._

The milky haired girl stared at him then moved his arm off her shoulders and slowly setting it down on the table. ''Sorry, but no thanks,'' she told him. ''I'm a minor and it would be considered statuetory rape if anyone saw us together. So get it through your head and your dick that I don't want to go on a date with you.'' Hammer burst out laughing when she finished.

Shane looked around the room see Shion holding her plate of curry, looking in both awe and shock; Captain Matthews hiding his face and laughter again; Allen sitting at the table with a ''thank god, I hope he understands'' look on his face; chaos with a slightly amused look on his face.

''Uh...sorry, Tony..'' She said, looking down at her hands.

He sighed and patted her head. ''It's alright. I deserved it.'' Shane blushed some. chaos had smiled at her as he looked down at his hands. _She's a special girl..._

* * *

After everyone was done eating, a full (and content) Shane was laying her head on the table and snoring lightly. Shion looked over only to smile at how peaceful she looked in her sleep as she washed the dishes with Allen. 

''…So, what're we going to do now?'' He asked. She looked at him. ''Well, we certainly can't leave KOS-MOS to her own devices, can we? She's functioning independently!'' Allen groaned to himself. ''And to think, we were supposed to get vacation time once we completed the startup experiment and turned her over to the Second Division,'' he said in an hopeless voice. She giggled at him.

''You're starting to sound a lot like the Captain. There's no use crying over spilled milk, you know. The first thing we need to do is to contact Headquarters and ask for instructions.''

''So I guess we're stuck with these guys for a little longer...and her, for that matter.'' He looked back at Shane who had turned her head to the other side. Shion put down the plate in the warm water as she looked at Allen with a confused look. ''Huh? What do you mean?'' she asked.

''I got a little suspicious, so I checked this ship's registry. Did you know that these guys are with the Kukai Foundation? That place is bad news. I heard a rumor that it's just crawling with mutants.'' He continued. ''And I couldn't find anything about that Shane girl. It's like she doesn't even exist or something.'' ''Hey, that's kind of a racist comment and who knows here Shane came from. That's for her to know and for us to find out. But listen, Allen. Sure, it's a well known fact...The Kukai Foundation was established by the Miltian government as a specialized military group.''

Shion continued, ''But they only held that status until the completion of the post-war proceedings. Although…they haven't gotten around to demilitarizing quite yet, they're being run like any other valid foundation nowadays. You know…as a matter of fact, their current director received a lot of praise for taking in and protecting victims in the days before the Species Preservation Act. He's really to be commended. Now what was his name… Umm…''

''Gaignun Kukai.''

The two turned to the doorway as chaos walked over, looking at Shane. ''Oh, chaos! What's up?'' He smiled and said, ''Oh, I just dropped in to see if there was anything I could help out with.'' She nodded then handed him a towel. ''Oh, thanks! We could use some help drying the dishes.'' ''Sure thing.'' As they washed and dried the dishes, the milky haired girl sneezed.

''Whew! That's everything.''

''Yup.'' chaos looked over at the table where there was a full plate of rice and curry. ''Huh? What's this? Is this for...''

''Oh, that's for the Commander…Shane already ate about 3 bowls,'' she said.

Allen dried his hands, looking at them both. ''Come to think of it, he didn't join us for dinner, did he?'' ''No, and I even called him… Oh, well. Shane, wake up!'' The milky haired girl stirred in her sleep then sat up, groaning. ''Wha...whazzat?'' Shion walked over to the table and picked up the plate. ''I'll just heat it up and let Shane take it to him.''

''...Lazy, aren't you, Chief?'' She put the plate in the microwave, setting it to 30 seconds. ''No, I'm not. So don't call me that, Allen!''

''Okay...Well, how about we call it a day?''

''Good idea. Oh…'' chaos looked at Shion. ''Did you forget something?'' She asked. ''No, but… Where did KOS-MOS go?'' She walked over to Shane and set the plate down. ''Oh, KOS-MOS? She's being tuned in her service module, down in the hangar. It'll probably take a few more hours. …Oh, did you want to go down and talk to her? I'm sure she'd like that. And Shane?''

''Oh, really?'' The white haired boy asked. ''Of course.'' ''Thanks. See you later.''

''Bye!'' Shion waved at chaos as he left the kitchen. Shane yawned, scratching her head. ''Nani na mou (What do you want)?'' ''Sorry for waking you from your catnap, but I want you to do something for me.'' She nodded her head to the plate in front of her then looked at Shane's half-awake expression. ''I want you to take that to Commander Cherenkov, okay?''

* * *

Shane groaned as she stood in the elevator, holding the tray with the plate of rice and curry. _I don't see why I have to give food to that homicidal maniac...though I better not say anything..._ She yawned loudly as she reached the 2nd floor, stepping out of the elevator. ''Now if I were insane and gun-crazy, where would I be...?'' Shane walked around until she found chaos turning a corner. ''Oi, chaos!'' He looked up at her as she ran up to him. 

''Shion told me you went to visit KOS-MOS. Were you able to talk with her?''

He shook his head. ''No, she seemed to be asleep, so I didn't want to bother her. I'll try again later.'' Shane turned her head to cough, trying not to cough on the curry. ''That's too bad,'' she said, clearing her throat. He smiled at her. ''But she was quite beautiful, even asleep.'' She blushed, looking to the side some. ''Yeah, I bet...Shion would probably be glomping you right now for saying that. By the way, have you seen that commander?''

''I saw the Commander go into the maintenance lab. Just go up the elevator on the left, in the angar up ahead.'' She nodded. ''You're a great help, buddy. Thanks,'' she told him as she walked to the maintenance room. The doors opened to her as she looked around inside. _Oooh, spooky... _Shane walked inside as the lights turned on and it scared Commander Cherenkov, who was standing next to KOS-MOS' maintenance bed.

''..Oi, Commander. I couldn't find ya in your room and Shion was worried you might starve..''

He turned to look at the girl. ''...You,'' he said.

''..The hell are you doing?'' Cherenkov looked back at the android.''…I was looking at her.''

''...At KOS-MOS? With a loaded pistol in your hand? And with the lights off, no less?''

''Ah, this, it's…it's a bad habit.'' He said.

_Uh-huh, sure. Keep telling yourself that... _''I see. Well, you are a soldier, after all, ne?'' He chuckled nervously, nodding. ''Ah, yeah…So this is the android that can take on the Gnosis… She sure doesn't look like it,'' he said.

''That's what Shion says.'' She handled him the tray, turning to turn her head and cough again. ''Don't worry; I didn't contaminate your food.'' Cherenkov nodded, taking a seat and eating the rice and curry. ''But...'' He looked at Shane. ''..But regardless of what she looks like, she's still considered a weapon.''

''I suppose you're right… Before we left the Woglinde… What was his name? Lieutenant Virgil? He was killed by this android's battle algorithm.'' She looked up at him, scratching her head softly. ''Really? Did he get into the line of fire or something...?'' Cherenkov nodded at her question, continuing to eat. ''Oh man...'' ''I'm not trying to blame that girl. Logic, reason…they can bring about death. Happens all the time.''

Shane nodded then looked at the floor, scratching her right foot with her left. ''I never thought she could do something like that...I mean, she could, under the right or wrong conditions.'' He looked up at the girl. ''The Vector girl,'' he began to say, ''she programmed her basic logic architecture, right?'' She yawned loudly which startled him and placed her hands in her pockets. ''Yep, pretty much. Shion thinks of KOS-MOS like a daughter or maybe like a friend, I don't know.'' He looked at his plate, nodding some. ''I see… Well, I doubt we could've saved the Lieutenant from that situation anyway.''

''Thanks. I'll tell Shion you at least tried to cheer her up.'' She then looked at his plate as he began to eat again. ''...I noticed you eat neatly...''

Cherenkov looked at her. ''Hmm? Ah, that's part of who I am. At least now…that is,'' he said slowly. Shane sat down in a seat from Cherenkov. ''So...what happened? Shion told me you were on the Woglinde ship, right?'' ''Why...why do you ask?'' She shrugged her shoulders some. ''Just wondering, is all. She said you seemed different from the other crew members somehow.''

He finished his dinner, giving the dinner tray to Shane and stood up.

''The Woglinde task force was assembled hastily. Besides, I'm a soldier. I'll go where I'm assigned.'' Cherenkov stood up and left the room.

''A…soldier, huh?''_ Hmph... _She looked at KOS-MOS then stood up, coughing hard. ''Damned cold...''

* * *

Shion was in Shane's cabin as she cleaned up around the bed and threw away the bloodied bandages. She was unconcious when she came here, she thought to herself. Shane apparently heard my name somewhere before...but where? She held her head as she tried to comprehend all that. She sighed to herself, washing her hands in cool water. 

''I guess I'll have to ask her myself,'' she said. Shion dried her hands and walked out of the cabin until the intercom came on. ''Hey, Ms. Vector! If you're just lounging around, come to the bridge for a sec!'' Captain Matthews' voice yelled.

She looked up at the intercom. ''What could it be? I wonder if something happened?''

* * *

Shane was already at the bridge, arms folded as she stood with her back against the wall. She watched the Elsa crew with a tired look in her eyes and face. Then was confirmed with a soft yawn that made chaos glance back at her. The milky-haired girl looked at him then waved her bandaged hands in front of her. He blinked at her and smiled, turning back around to the computer screen. Shane sighed. Geez, she thought to herself. I'm so frickin' tired but I don't want to go back to sleep. 

''Hey, bandage girl.'' She looked up at the captain.

''What?''

''How ya feeling now?''

''Meh, don't sweat it, Capt'. I'm alright, just tired.'' She covered her mouth with her arm, coughing into the elbow. ''And you're sick, too,'' he told her. She looked at him. ''I know that much...'' The doors slid open as Shion walked inside. She looked over at Shane who was holding her head back and holding her nose. ''Damned runny nose,'' she muttered.

''What the…? There it is again. That's so weird…'' Hammer said as he looked over his console. ''What is it?'' He glanced back at Captain Matthews. ''It's the catapult deck. There seems to be something wrong with the hatch.''

''Air pressure?'' He asked. ''No leaks at the moment. I wonder if it's the electrical system…'' Shion walked over to them. ''Shall I take a look at it?'' Captain Matthews looked back at Shion and nodded. ''Ah, that'd be great. Doesn't look like a leak, but be careful, just in case.'' ''Got it,'' She walked out of the bridge to the catapult room. Shane scratched the back of her head as she started to walk out. ''You stop right there, bandage girl,'' Captain Matthews said. ''Since you're still recovering and all, you should do something to speed up your recovery. That is, until we reach Second Miltia.''

She turned to him. ''...In other words, you want to put me to work?''

He grinned at her and said, ''Yup.''

Chapter Eight: End. _(Okay, I mentioned Gainun. Also, you noticed I replaced Shion with Shane when she takes the curry to Cherenkov. ...Now we wait as things get good...J/K. R & R!)_


	9. Battle in Hyperspace

**Chapter Nine: Battle in Hyperspace**

_(A/N: I'm sick with the flu... coughs but I won't fail the readers! sniffles_

''...You're kidding, right?!''

''Nope. Besides, I won't have you freeloading around my ship, Bandage Girl.''

''Uh-huh, when KOS-MOS tried to shatter that window, you were singin' a different tune...''

''What was that?'' Captain Matthews glared down at Shane who coughed in response. ''Nothing.'' Nice, stupid. Just try to get yourself thrown out in space again... She sighed heavily. ''So, what do you want me to do?'' He held his chin, looking at the milky-haired girl until a beeping noise came from his console that was on the left side of his chair. ''Everything's normal in the catapult deck, Captain,'' Shion's voice said over the U.M.N. ''All right, if there's nothing there, I guess we're fine. Good work. Come on back.'' He looked back at Shane. ''I'll talk to you later about what you can do on the ship, alright? First we need gate jump to the Militian star system.''

* * *

After a few minutes, Shane was laying on the floor near the door obviously going to sleep...or trying to. She listened to Captain Matthews speak with an employee from the U.M.N. in order to get permission to gate jump. 

''Thank you for choosing the U.M.N. Transport Gate. We would like to confirm your vessel's registration. Organization: Kukai Foundation. Vessel class: Type II Cargo Ship Vessel number: MFHE-59824751 Vessel name: Elsa Captain: Mr. Matthews. Is this correct?'' The U.M.N employee asked Tony.

''Yep. You got it.''

''Please transmit your flight plan.''

She yawned, sitting up as Tony sent the flight plan. She looked up at Shion who entered the bridge a few minutes ago. ''Tired?'' ''Meh.'' ''You should rest,'' she said. ''...Meh.'' the milky haired girl answered. ''...Is that all you can say is 'meh'?'' She looked at her and nodded. ''Meh.''

''Thank you. Cargo is scrap material. Destination is the Miltian star system. Oh…you appear to have some excess cargo mass.''

Captain Matthews rubbed the back of his head ''Yeah, we got a little carried away.''

The U.M.N. Employee nodded. ''There will be a surcharge on the bill sent to the Kukai Foundation. Will that be all right?''

''Yeah, that's fine,'' he answered.

''Very well. Have a safe journey.''

The U.M.N. employee ended the communication. Hammer sighed, leaning back in his chair. ''I had a feeling they'd notice.'' ''Well, we did pick up some extra junk.''

''Ah, nothing to worry about, right? We always go over the limit.'' Captain Matthews chuckled to himself. ''That's true.'' Shion stepped forward, looking at him. ''You could've billed Vector for it.''

''You crazy?'' He said, looking at her. Hammer shook his head. ''Things are already complicated enough as is.'' A grunt of agreement came from Tony.

''...Hey, Shane?''

''Nani?''

''I'm going to go and contact Vector HQ to tell them me and Allen are okay,'' Shion said with a small smile on her face.

''...Alright. Have fun.'' _Knowing this, you're probably gonna bitch at Miyuki and scare her half to death... _She yawned loudly and stood up. ''What is it you want me to do, Captain?'' He looked at her. ''Calm down, Bandage Girl,'' he said, ''Why don't you go and do maintanance on the A.G.W.S in the hangar? chaos, can you go show her?'' Shane turned red as the white haired young man stood up and walked over.

''..Hey..''

He smiled. ''Hey again. It's the second time today.''

''Eh? Nani?'' She tilted her head some.

''Our second meeting. We met when you woke up earlier...''

She smacked her forehead lightly. ''Oh, god, I'm sorry!'' she said. ''My mind's kinda fuzzy, but I remember; don't worry, I remember your name, too.''

He nodded and took her hand in his gloved one. ''Off to the hangar then?'' She nodded, smiling. ''Right.'' As the two white haired teens walked out of the bridge, a small smile crept onto Captain Matthews' face. ''Captain, you are wrong for what you did,'' Hammer said and recieved a kick to the back of his chair.

* * *

''What's the captain's deal, huh?'' Shane asked chaos as they walked out, standing near the doors. He chuckled lightly. ''Well since you're on the ship along with Shion and the others, you have to earn your keep.'' Earn...my keep? She blinked. ''Wait, do I have to come up with some sort of skill thingy so I won't get thrown out in space?'' 

''...I was going to tell you that, but you've got the idea.''

''...Damn.''

''Don't worry, I won't tell anyone where you're actually from, Shane.''

She looked at him with a worried look on her face. But when chaos smiled at her, she calmed down some. ''Alright, thanks buddy.'' She jumped once the intercom came on and Matthews' loud voice could be heard.

''Hey, Ms. Vector! Bandage Girl! You can hear me, right? Get yourselves over to the bridge!''

''God, man, he didn't have to shout...'' Shane and chaos ran back into the bridge as Shion and Allen came after. ''You don't need to shout, I can hear you just fine!'' She said, rubbing her ear.

''Just take a look at this.'' He activated a screen that showed an escape ship under attack and being chased by Drone ships. '' Wow… I had no idea there are ships that small that can enter hyperspace.'' The Drone ships flew by the Elsa at breakneck speed, almost like a bat flying straight out of hell.

''Watch it!'' Tony yelled.

''Do you know who those guys are?'' Captain Matthews asked Shion.

''No idea. Doesn't look like one of our products,'' she answered him.

''What about the other small ship?''

She shook her head. ''I'm sorry. I have no idea.'' Shane stood behind chaos's seat as she looked at the screen with awe. Man, I want one of these back at home... The white haired boy turned to the captain. ''There's a distress signal coming from the small ship.'' Shion stepped forward with a look of concern on her face. ''Why aren't we helping them?''

''We've got enough trouble just dealing with you guys!''

''Oh, well we're SORRY for getting onboard!'' The milky haired girl yelled. ''Damn! We're in their line of fire!'' Tony yelled. '' What? Get out of the way!!'' He held onto the controls tightly and moved the Elsa to the side, causing everyone to hold on to anything they could find. Captain Matthews looked over to see that the ship was close to the hyperspace wall. ''If we hit the column walls it's over!'' Everyone felt the ship shake violently as the Elsa's right side hit the column walls. Shane closed her eyes and clutched the back of the chair, screaming. She felt a warm gloved hand grab onto her wrist. She knew who it was, even though her eyes were closed shut. '' I want to live!'' Hammer yelled. ''--Someone save us!'' Allen finished. ''Damn it! You try to be polite and they just walk all over you!''

''What's the plan, Capt'n? We gonna join the party?''

''What are you, nuts?! What'd I just say to you?! We've already got enough trouble!'' A blast from one of the Auto-Tech ships' weapons fired and hit one part of the Elsa, making the ship shake again violently.

''There's a hit to sector four! Outer hull partially damaged!'' chaos yelled. He had let go of Shane's wrist to go back and type hurriedly at the console. ''Captainnn…!'' Hammer whined as Captain Matthews kicked the back of his chair. ''Shut up! Any enemy of theirs is our ally! Tony!'' ''Aye aye, sir! That's more like it!'' Tony increased the speed on the Elsa as everyone jerked backwards. Shane fell onto the floor. _Ow...crazy bastard...! _She stood back up; Shion mouthing the words ''Are you okay?'' She nodded at her. '' Wha…? Wait a second! You're gonna take a ship like this into battle in hyperspace?! You've gotta be kidding!'' Allen yelled in protest. The Elsa pilot grinned widely. ''Ya better believe it! Don't worry about it. With Elsa's Logic Drive and my immaculate piloting skills, there's nothing we can't handle! Let's do iiittt!''

''If you get us killed, I swear to God, I'll kick your ass once we're all on the other side!'' The milky haired girl screamed at Tony. ''Like I said, no worries!!''

The escape ship circled around the column walls and flames emitted, burning and burned and destroying the Drone ships. ''Woooo! That ship's got some serious moves! That's what I call wave riding! Yeah! I can feel it, baby, I can feel it! Yahoooooooo!'' Tony yelled in a maniac-esque voice. The Elsa went at full speed and touched the column walls as flames destroyed the Auto-Tech ships. Allen, Shion, and Shane felt weird and dizzy from the battle.

''Oh, noes, I'm gonna blow chunks...''

''Well, don't because chaos is in your line of fire,'' Shion said, holding onto the floor.

Suddenly, enemy reinforcements arrived.

''Reinforcements!'' Hammer yelled as at least 2 more enemy ships appeared on the screen.

''What?!''

Enemy reinforcement fired at the escape ship that was trying to dodge as much as possible. chaos gripped his gloved hands tightly, standing up. ''No! There's no way they can avoid all that!''

''With all those weapons firing...!'' Shane clutched the back of his chair.

Suddenly, one of the Auto-Tech ships shot the left booster off of the escape ship piloted by whoever was inside.

''No!!'' Captain Matthews yelled.

The escape ship touched the column walls and looked like it was going to break up to pieces at any minute. Shion ran out of the bridge as Shane and Allen ran after her. ''Where are you going?!'' Shion turned to her. ''Just stay on the bridge!''

* * *

Shane and the others watched the grappling claw grab the escape ship with whoever inside. ''Nice catch, Shion! Looks like we made it just in time!'' Tony yelled. The captain used his intercom to speak to the people inside. '' We're gonna pull you in. Hurry inside once the hatch closes. We'll get rid of 'em,'' he told them. The Elsa tried to close the deck, but suddenly, it stopped. ''What happened?'' Hammer turned to the captain, a look of concern on his face. ''The deck isn't closing!'' 

''What?!''

''Could it be that…?''

''Damn electrical problems! At a time like this!''

''Attention vessel occupants. Can you make it up on your own? The ship's shielding should cover you a bit, so if you put on your spacesuits and use the hull as a shield…'' chaos trailed off.

A man's voice came over the intercom from the escape ship. ''Roger. Neither of us here are human, so I'm sure we can make it.'' Hang on, that voice... Shane thought as she held her head some. In the Elsa, the captain slammed his fist on his chair. ''Damn it!'' ''Intruder alert! They're on the catapult deck!'' Hammer yelled out.

Everyone looked up to hear the Auto-Tech ship on in the intercom.

''Surrender and maintain cruising speed,'' it said. ''If you do not comply, we will attack. Repeat. Surrender and maintain cruising speed. If you do not comply, we will attack. We guarantee you will not be harmed if you follow our instructions.''

''An Auto-Tech. My ass… Who are you kidding? We're screwed either way. Tony! Full throttle! Use the ship to take him out!''

''You got it!''

Tony moved the Elsa toward the column walls, creating flames and destroying the Drone ship. The Drone ship hits the catapult and got destroyed. The catapult then closed. ''Nice! That shock closed the catapult!''

''Oh! This is insane!'' Allen yelled, holding his head. Suddenly, one of the other Auto-Tech ships dropped multiple Auto-Techs in the catapult section of the ship. ''We've got trouble! They're taking over the rear hangar! I'm detecting transfer waves! They're calling in terminal units!''

''We'll just have to take 'em on! Prepare for hand-to-hand combat! Seal the internal barrier doors!'' Captain Matthews ordered.

''Roger!''

chaos stood up from his chair. ''I'll take the corridor! Shane, take my place until I come back, okay?'' ''Eh, but I can't--!''

''I'll go, too!''

''No. It's too dangerous,'' he told her.

Shion shook her head in response. ''I can't let you go by yourself, chaos. Don't worry, I've got KOS-MOS with me. Right, KOS-MOS?''

''Yes. I will eliminate the enemy units,'' KOS-MOS said. The brown haired girl stepped forward and told the android, ''But don't damage the ship! Understand?''

''Understood. I will proceed at 30 output.'' Shion turned to Allen. ''Allen, go find the Commander and protect the cabin!'' He blinked then his mouth dropped to the floor. ''Huh?! Are you serious?''

''I'm counting on you!'' Shane watched them leave the bridge then said, ''Be careful, you guys!''

* * *

After the enemy was destroyed, everyone on the bridge were looking over on the damage to the ship. ''How's it look?'' Captain Matthews asked. ''We got problems all over. The entire radar system is down. I bet the emitter's completely fried now,'' Allen replied as he shook his head. ''The generator output keeps on dropping… I guess we ran the ship into the hyperspace column walls a few times too many… Thanks to a certain idiot who flies like a maniac…'' Hammer glared at Tony who stood up from his seat. 

''What?! Hey!! Who do you think it was that saved us?!''

''I wish you'd consider what the navigator has to go through! I'm getting carpal tunnel thanks to you!'' He yelled at him.

''Why don't you just direct-link it?!'' Tony yelled back. ''Isn't it obvious?! It's way cooler to navigate by hand!'' The pilot growled lowly then got into Hammer's face. ''Are you stupid or something?'' The blonde slammed his hands down on the console, growling back. ''Mind your own business! At least I'm more useful than a certain out-of-control lunatic!''

''Oh, okay now! So you think you're the man, huh?''

''You wanna go? Whatchoo got?''

''Bring it on!'' The two men went into fighting stances, growling at each other.

''That's enough! Both of ya morons, shut up! I'm sick of listening to your whining! My head hurts enough just thinking about what these repairs are gonna cost! The last thing I need is to babysit the two of you!'' Captain Matthews yelled at them, making them flinch back. Shane shook her head at them then looked at the doors as Shion, chaos, KOS-MOS, and the two occupants of the escape ship came in. '' Uh…we're back.''

''Ohhh… If I had known I'd be doing this, I would've spent more time at the firing range,'' Shion said as she held her head. She looked to the captain, Tony, and Hammer then at Shane. ''Hmm? What's going on?'' The captain shook his head at her. ''Nothing. Good work. So, who are these guys?''

''She's MOMO, and this is Ziggy. Looks like they're both with the Federation government,'' chaos told him. The little girl named MOMO stepped forward, her pink hair bouncing with her step. ''Nice to meet you.''

''You two were the ones in that ship out there?''

''Thank you very much for rescuing us,'' she said.

The tall man named Ziggy nodded his head slowly. ''Thanks for your help.'' ''They were being held by the U-TIC Organization, but they managed to escape.'' Shane and the captain's faces turned into looks of surprise. ''The U-TIC Organization?!'' they both said.

''Captain…Shane...''

''Never thought I'd have to hear that cursed name again.'' A chill went down the milky-haired girl's back as she gritted her teeth. ''What is it? That U…whatever?'' Captain Matthews waved his hand in front of him at Hammer. ''Nothing you need to worry about. Stop wasting time and plot our course already.''

''You heard him. It's nothing a stupid navigator needs to worry about,'' the pilot said antagonizing Hammer. He growled silently in anger. In his anger, he went back to his pilot seat. ''Allen! Hurry up and clean up the top of the panel! This stuff's in the way!''

''Wha…? You're the one who left these here. Don't take it out on me!''

* * *

_**Later at the restaurant, the group all sat near the table while KOS-MOS passed glasses of water to everyone. ''**_This is for you,'' KOS-MOS said as she handed a glass to Shion and Shane. ''Thanks.'' The milky haired girl drank from the glass. ''Thanks, KOS-MOS,'' Shion said. _**Allen slept with his head down on the table. ''**_Allen, wake up already. What's wrong with you?'' ''He's tired from the excitement today,'' Shane said as she drank from the glass again. 

''Captain, here is your tea,'' KOS-MOS handed the captain his glass. ''Ah, thanks. Just set it down there.''

_**Tony sat with chaos and talked with them about the day's events. ''**_I'm telling you, that was crazy!'' The white-haired boy nodded. ''It was a close one, wasn't it?'' The pilot nodded then turned to Ziggy. ''I gotta say though, those were some pretty sweet moves out there, old man,'' he said.

''Thank you very much!'' MOMO said in a cheerful voice.

''Wha…? Whoa, hold on a sec, that was you?!'' He stood up and looked at the little girl with a confused look on his face. ''Well…yes…I handled the flight controls.'' Tony groaned, holding his head. ''Unbelievable…Shown up by a little girl…Kids these days…'' That said, he left the resturant. ''Heh, first it was Shane, now it was little MOMO,'' Shion said. Shane looked at the woman and leaned back against her seat.

''Hey, the guy hit on me, knowing full well that I'm underage. He could be a child predator in disguise!''

''Shane, don't talk about Tony like that, you hear?'' The milky-haired girl held up her hands in surrender.

''Sorry, captain.''

''But still, that's pretty amazing, even for a Realian.'' Shion looked at MOMO's uniform, recognizing the logo. ''Hey…that insignia…on your uniform…'' MOMO looked up at her. ''Yes?''

''Is that…are you from the Mizrahi Lab?''

''Yes. I'm a 100 – I'm an Observational Realian.''

Shion smiled at MOMO. ''It's okay, you don't have to worry. If you're concerned about government secrets, KOS-MOS is one too. So, you're a 100-Series Observational Realian from the Mizrahi Lab? A Hilbert-equipped model, right?'' she asked. The little girl Realian nodded.

''KOS-MOS is equipped with it too, you know. The Hilbert Effect. But of course, ours is a Vector original.''

''You're with Vector Industries?''

''Yup. So is Allen over there.'' The Vector employee pointed to Allen as Tony tried to wake him up. He groaned, pushing his hands away in a motion to be left alone. ''Dude, let him sleep,'' Shane said.

''By the way, where are you headed? We might be able to get you there for a small fee if it's not too far out of the way. Right, Captain?'' Captain Matthews nodded. ''Yeah, of course. After all, we are in the transport business,'' he said.

''Transport? Then, could you please take us to Second Milt… Could you please take us to the Second Miltian star system?'' Shion looked at MOMO and Ziggy. ''Second Miltia? You too?''

''What do you mean, you too?'' Ziggy asked. ''Oh, um, it's just a strange coincidence, that's all. KOS-MOS' new development is on Second Miltia, also.'' chaos smiled. ''Hey, that's great. It'll cost less if you're all going the same way, Shion. That goes for you too, Shane.''

The milky-haired girl drank the water from the glass, nodding. ''Well, I suppose that's true…'' Hammer looked at the captain. ''Captain? What about ship repairs?'' He put down his tea and stood up. ''Yeah, we gotta take care of that first. Let's stop at a nearby dock colony. That all right with you?''

''Of course,'' the blonde cyborg nodded. ''

''Thank you for taking us.'' Captain Matthews chuckled, waving his hand in front of his face. ''

''Well, relax and enjoy the trip. Hey, Ms. Vector, show'em around, would ya?''

''Hmm, he's being unusually nice,'' Shion said to Shane. ''Yeah, too damn nice...'' The captain looked at them both. ''What? I got a booger hanging out of my nose, or…?'' The Vector employee shook her head as the milky-haired girl held up her arms in response. ''Wha? Ah, n-no, nothing, nothing.'' She turned to Ziggy and MOMO. ''All right then, shall we go? MOMO? Ziggy?''

Chapter Nine: End _(Whew. Frickin' long chapter, eh? I didn't think it'd be long...bet you guys thought Shane was bored? Well, yes, she was. And I got a feeling Chapter Ten'll be even longer... Please R & R.)_


	10. Dock Colony

**Chapter Ten: Dock Colony**

_(A/N: Whee, my 10th chapter! throws confetti up in the air Thanks goes out to Aerith the Evenstar and Gunz Ablaze for the awesome reviews. Please enjoy some Shane antics!)_

Shane was in Hanger 1 of the Elsa, checking the mantainance of the A.G.W.S stored there. She waved at Shion who was escorting the new occupants, Ziggy and MOMO, around the ship. ''This is Hangar 1, a hangar exclusively for A.G.W.S. They let me store mine here too,'' Shion told them. MOMO looked at the red A.G.W.S and smiled. ''It's a beautiful A.G.W.S. I've never seen an A.G.W.S. like it before.'' She looked over at Shane, waving at her as the milky-haired girl waved back. ''It's one of our prototypes. It's supposed to be tested during Woglinde's trial run, but I never imagined it would actually come into use,'' Shion said.

''Whose A.G.W.S. is that one over there?'' The little girl Realian pointed to the white and lavender A.G.W.S closest to Shane. ''Oh, that's the Elsa's A.G.W.S. It seems chaos pilots it for the most part. I heard that Hammer put it together himself from junk parts salvaged from battlefields. I think he said he was going to make one for Shane, but I'm not sure...''

''Really? Hammer is very skilled,'' MOMO told her. ''I think he does all the repairs on the Elsa too. Someone like Hammer's a rare find. There aren't too many people like that, even in Vector Second R&D Division.'' Shion turned to the milky-haired girl who was popping her knuckles.

''Hey, Shane, I'll see you later okay?''

''Alright, see you.'' She sat back on the floor, rubbing the temples of her head lightly. It's been hours since I came here, she thought to herself. And I haven't made any REAL progress on going home...I still have to play along with the storyline of the game until the end. She stood up and sighed. ''And now, to check Shion's mecha.''

* * *

After 15 minutes in the hanger, Shane rode the elevator back up to the first floor as she stretched. She stepped out of the hanger, holding out her shirt with a grimace on her face. ''Ick, I probably smell worse than Dad when he comes back from fishing...'' She walked to the doorway that led to the bridge and stopped when she heard Commander Cherenkov's voice near the U.M.N. 

''Commander…'' He said in a nervous yet calm voice. ''Cherenkov… What is it?'' _Damn, it's Margulis... _The milky-haired girl thought, seething at the name. Shane had her back against the wall as she listened in on their conversation. ''The Zohar was…taken by the Gnosis… B-but I managed to secure the 100-Series Realian and a young woman. They're currently onboard a cargo ship… …headed for the Miltian star system. I believe it is the same ones you had secured on Pleroma. What do you--''

''Just stick to your duties,'' Margulis coldly ordered.

''Wha…?''

''Don't do anything beyond the scope of your mission. We've already confirmed all the variables. The situation is proceeding according to plan.''

''B-but, Sir,'' Cherenkov started to protest.

''Return to Headquarters at once. I'll deal with you then. Understood?'' Commander Cherenkov nodded and broke contact. Shane peaked around the corner to see him with his head lowered and his hands at his sides, balling up into fists._ I better get out of here before he goes berserk and ends up killing me... _She turned, running to her cabin.

* * *

Later, the Elsa docked at the Dock Colony where everyone walked to the air lock and stretched from the long flight. ''Damns, I need to go to the clinic,'' Shane said as she looked at her arms and shoulder. ''Not to mention a change of clothes and a bath...blegh.'' Shion giggled at her remarks then looked around. ''...Oh? I thought Commander Cherenkov was here with you.'' The milky-haired girl looked at her. ''Eh, no he wasn't. I haven't seen him either.'' She lied. 

''What's the matter?'' chaos asked, walking over to them.

''Well, he skipped dinner again, so I've been looking for him…''

''Did you check outside? He mentioned something about finding a charter flight.'' Hammer said, looking at Shion. The captain looked up at them as he smoked a cigarette. ''Wait a minute… Wearing that uniform?''

''Yeah.'' He shook his head. ''Ohh, that's bad…'' Shane looked at him. ''Whoa, how's that bad?'' ''Hmm?''

''This area was abandoned by the government and never properly restored after the war. The people here haven't forgotten how violent the military was, though. It's no place for a soldier to be wandering around.,'' Captain Matthews told the girls.

''Is it really that dangerous here?'' Shion asked. ''Well, it's fine if you're a civilian…'' Captain Matthews inhaled and exhaled his cigarette. The milky haired girl looked at them then gasped as she stumbed back. She looked down to the floor, her vision turning white. ''Oh god, what the fuck's happening?'' She looked to see that all time had stopped and she was looking at herself. ''Astral projection?'' she said outloud. ''Man, the cold's getting to me...'' She walked through the air lock door, opening her eyes to glance around the Dock Colony.

''Why did this just happened---wait, I think I know. Shane ran to the part where she remembered from the game and saw the missing commander who looked around. He was then surrounded suddenly by colony punks. Shane gasped again, looking up at everyone. '' Well, in that case, we'd better go find him before anything happens,'' chaos said. _Apparently noone noticed_, she thought as she straightened up. ''Yeah, you're right. I'll go get Ziggy. He'll probably come in handy at a time like this.'' Hammer nodded. ''All right, I'll go with Allen, then. He doesn't look very useful, though…so I'll go with Shane instead!''

''...What? I didn't agree to go search for him. I need a shower and someone to check my wounds.'' ''Oh, come on! I'm not like Tony! I'm the exact opposite,'' He told her. She folded her arms, narrowing her eyes. ''Uh-huh, sure. Try to grope me and you're dead.''

''Better be careful, Hammer. Shane's a fiery one,'' Captain Matthews said as he chuckled to himself. Hammer groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

* * *

''Well, let's start looking for the Commander. We should split up to look for him. I'll let you know as soon as we find him!'' Hammer and Shane ran off as Shion's group went the other way. ''Alright, where should we look first?'' She looked around then walked down the path to an alleyway. ''This way,'' she said. Hammer followed after her. 

''You sure you're going the right way?''

''..Nope. Just trust me, ya?'' He tilted his head. ''...Ya?'' he asked. She stopped and kneeled down behind a pair of boxes. She pulled Hammer down next to her as he yelped in response. ''Ah! Shane, wha--?!'' ''Shh!'' She pointed at Commander Cherenkov who was getting beat up by the punks. Hammer gasped at the sight as Shane gritted her teeth. ''So this is what the captain was saying...'' She looked beside her only to see the navigator gone and running away. ''Hammer?! Hammer, get your ass back here!'' She ran after him.

* * *

As Shion's group arrived at the scene, a panicky Hammer and an angered, equally panicky, Shane ran up to them out of breath. ''Oh!! S-S-S-S-Shion! I-I-I-It's terrible! It's terrible! In the thug, the alleyway is beat up all Commander!!'' The navigator managed to say. Shion moved her hands up and down in front of him. ''Uh, um, Hammer? I can't understand you at all. Calm down a little…'' 

Shane took a deep breath. ''It's the commander...! Me and Hammer found 'em in an alleyway and...!!''

''There's no time to calm down! Come on, hurry! Come this way, quickly!!''

The two lead the group to the alley where the commander and colony punks were in. In the alley,

the group saw the punks bleeding, critically injured and unconscious. Ziggy walked over to one of them and examined him. He then looked up at Shion. ''Shion. We must get these people to a hospital at once. They're still alive, but barely hanging on.'' ''I-I'll go call an ambulance!'' Hammer said in a panicked voice and left. ''This is terrible… Wh-where's Commander Cherenkov?'' The blonde cyborg glanced at Shion then said, ''I'm detecting a faint heat signature heading toward the dock. It most likely belongs to the Commander.''

''Commander…'' Behind Shion, Shane's face took on a darkened and more serious tone. _That certain part's coming..._

* * *

The group took the wounded punks to the nearby clinic and went back to the Elsa to see if Commander Cherenkov was alright and to ask what happened in the alleyway. As the group walked inside, MOMO tried to treat the commander's wounds. He pushed her hands away and shook his head. ''That's enough,'' he said. A frown came onto the Realian girl's face. ''B-but…'' Shion wallked over to them. ''Commander?! Are you okay?'' He looked up at her, nodding. ''Yeah…'' Shane folded her arms. 

''What happened?''

''I got cornered by some, uh, street punks. But they started fighting amongst each other, so I ran away during the commotion.''

''You got cornered…?''

''I'd say the commander got jumped by those guys,'' the milky-haired girl said.

He sighed. ''It…It's all right. It's really not that bad.''

MOMO shook her head ''no''. ''That's not true! I've been trying to treat his injuries, but he won't let me…'' Shane closed her eyes as she rubbed her eyes gently. ''Refusin' treatment?'' Cherenkov shook his head again. ''I'm sorry… It's just…I'm not a big fan of nanosurgery,'' he said. Shion looked at him with concern on her face and in her eyes. ''You prefer natural healing?'' ''No, that…that's not what I mean…''

Ziggy interrupted the two speaking as he looked at MOMO. ''MOMO, I need your help over here. I haven't had a tune-up since the battle on Pleroma. Some of my parts may be a little worn out.''

''Okay,'' she said. The blonde cyborg sat in the maintenance chair as she used the console to check his parts. ''All systems are working within their normal parameters.'' ''I'm behind on my regular maintenance. This body's getting pretty old.''

''Not at all. But you know, you may be better off if Shion were to look you over,'' MOMO told him.

Ziggy looked at Shion who was trying to help Commander Cherenkov with an embarassed look on his face. ''You may find this funny, but even with a body like this, I still feel uncomfortable about a young woman working on me,'' he said. The Realian looked up at him. ''But there are plenty of human female doctors, aren't there?''

''Well, I'm embarrassed of this patchwork mechanical body. I'm being silly, aren't I?''

MOMO shook her head slowly. ''…But, you're all right with me because I'm not human?'' Ziggy looked at her face and got up from the chair. ''That's not what I meant. It's just that I feel comfortable around you, but that's probably because…because of the purity of your heart…and not because I see you as an object.''

''…Thank you. I'm so glad.'' Commander Cherenkov looked at both MOMO and Ziggy. ''How I envy you…'' he said. She looked to him with her childish golden eyes. ''Huh?''

''Uh, no, it's a…it's nothing.'' He stood up and left the room and group to their own devices. ''I wonder if the Commander's really all right. He's been acting strangely ever since we boarded the Elsa…'' Shion said as she watched the commander leave the room.

''Hey, Shion? Can you and MOMO come with me so I can find some clothes? ...And a shower?'' The two girls looked at her and nodded.

''Okay.''

* * *

In the Dock Colony store, the three girls looked through a hologram catalog at different clothes. ''So, Shane, what do you think of this?'' Shion pointed to the figure of a young woman wearing what looked like or similar to a Japanese school uniform. ''Nah...I wear uniforms back at home. They're hideous.'' She shook for empathesis, giving herself goosebumps. MOMO giggled at the gesture as Shane grinned. ''Ooh, what about this one?'' The Vector employee pointed to the hologram of a woman about 17-18 years old wearing a long black overcoat with a dark brown vest attatched to a grey turtleneck shirt underneath. Shion pressed a button on the catalog as the overcoat separated from the body. It showed the turtleneck was sleeveless. Black capris stopped at the knees and black calf boots finished the outfit. 

''Dude, that outfit is SO me,'' Shane said. She looked at the price and squealed to see it was in the price range. ''So you like it?'' ''Of course I do! Let's buy it already so I can try it on back at the ship!'' Shion smiled. ''After a bath, of course.'' The milky-haired girl laughed. ''Yeah, after a bath,'' she said.

''Shane, I've been meaning to ask you...are you a Realian?''

''Huh? Oh, no I'm not. I'm just as human as you are, MOMO-chan.'' MOMO's eyes turned bright as a small blush crept to her face. ''Really? You think of me as a human?'' Shane nodded as Shion went to the register and showed the picture of the outfit she wanted to buy. ''It's kinda like what Ziggy said--I see you for the purity of your heart, and not as an object. You stick with me, kid. I'll protect you,'' she said and gave the Realian a thumbs-up.

''Shane...we've just met, and you're saying you want to protect me?''

''Yeah, I know. But you remind of my little sister back home...even though you're 12 and she's 6.'' MOMO nodded and smiled. ''Okay. Thank you, Shane.''

''Alright, you guys. Let's get back to the ship. Captain Matthews'll be waiting for us.''

* * *

The girls made it back to the Elsa, bags in hand along with more supplies for the ship. ''I'm going to go and tell the captain we can depart,'' Shion said as she handed the vacuum-packed square of Shane's new outfit to the milky-haired girl. ''Alright. I'm going to my cabin. You coming with me, MOMO?'' The little Realian nodded as they both walked to the elevator. 

As they walked to the elevator, Shane's steps became slow. She looked down at the floor as her vision became fuzzy and distorted. ''Oooh...'' ''Shane? What's wrong?'' She blinked her eyes, looking at MOMO. ''Uh, yeah...I'm okay,'' she said. She held her head and leaned against the wall.

''You don't seem okay. My sensors show that your heart's beating at an erratic rate...'' MOMO said. The milky-haired girl looked at her. ''...You can see all that? Heh, that's relly cool.'' She smiled as they stepped in the elevator, going down to the cabin areas.

* * *

''Think you can find any hidden cameras, MOMO-chan?'' 

''I think so. ... No, there's no hidden cameras. You're free to shower, Shane.''

''Alright,'' the milky haired girl said as she turned on the shower. She removed the clothes she had been wearing since she left Pleroma; blood stained and smelly from her sweating from her fever. She took a shower, washing her hair and the rest of her body. MOMO waited for her as she looked up at the ceiling. The steam rose from behind the curtain, water dripping from the faucet and hitting the curtain.

''Shane?'' MOMO asked after about 5 minutes of silence.

''Yeah?''

''Where are you from? Which planet, I mean?'' Shane tensed up, looking at the girl's silloutte. ''...I'm from...Fifth Jeruselum,'' she said. _God, I'm going to hell for this...MOMO's gonna know since she can read me like a book... _''Really? I hear it's nice.'' The milky-haired girl nodded, chuckling nervously. ''Yeah! It's really nice in the summer.'' The pink haired girl smiled then kicked her feet some.

''Shane? Why are you going to Second Milita?''

''I've never been there, but I wanna see it, though before I go back to Fifth Jeruselum,'' she said. Shane turned off the shower, wringing the water out of her hair. She grabbed a towel that was folded on the counter of the sink and wrapped it around herself. ''Shion told me that you were inside a A.G.W.S with a gunshot wound to your shoulder.'' ''Yup. I'm surprised the bullet went through, actually.'' She stepped out of the shower as MOMO turned around. ''That's really scary...'' The little Realian said. ''Were you scared?''

''Yeah, scared out of my wits, MOMO.''

* * *

After the shower, MOMO told Shane that she was going to the bridge where Ziggy and the others were at. Shane nodded and waved the little girl off. _God, she's just like the little monkey...but nicer and not hyper. _She walked back to her cabin wearing the outfit Shion bought back at the Dock Colony and laid down on the seat near the door. ''Maybe I can finally get some sleep now...'' With that said, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. 

''…Shane… …Shane… …Shane… Shane.''

Shane opened her eyes to see she was in another world that was just pure black and white. It looked like she was in an old film. A really old film. ''Damn,'' she said to herself. ''It's that world Shion dreamt about...'' She looked around and saw the little girl from her house.

Nephilim.

''You again? Was it you that tried to wake me up before?'' The little girl looked at her.

''Shane. It may already be too late…''

''Mmph, what do you mean, too late? What's too late? You talking about the commander?''

''Ultimately, the choice is up to him… But you… You and Shion may be able to understand him in his final moments,'' she said in a soft voice. Everything went white as Shane closed her eyes slowly.

''Indeed, that will bring him comfort…'' Shane woke up, sitting up fast as she looked around. '' '..That'll bring him comfort...'' She fell off the seat, yelping after feeling a sudden shaking. ''W-what the...?''

* * *

Shane ran to the bridge, nearly bumping into Shion in the process. ''Dah! Sorry, Shion!'' The other woman nodded and mumbled ''sorry''. They stumbled back as they ran into the bridge, breathing heavily. They looked out the large windows at hyperspace to see sparks emitting. 

''Wh-what's going on?'' Shion asked in a worried voice.

KOS-MOS turned to her and Shane. ''A powerful force is affecting the ship from outside hyperspace.''

''What does that mean?!'' MOMO asked, panicking. ''Something is trying to come into contact with the ship. If this persists, we will be dragged out of hyperspace. '' A look of confusion and worry came onto the Realian's face. ''What's this…? I sense…?!'' Shion looked at her hands to see her hands glowing blue. Shane and MOMO's hands were doing the same. ''Huh?! What's…?!''

''Are our hands supposed to glow blue or is that normal?!'' Shane asked.

As the Elsa was dragged out of hyperspace, Shion looked out of hyperspace and gasped loudly. Everyone was in for the shock of their lives. ''Gnosis?!'' The gnosis--big and small--were everywhere; floating around without a care in the world. ''What the hell?! Hey! Are you sure you got the right coordinates?!'' Captain Matthews asked Hammer who was frantically looking to see what happened.

''Ah, well…they're…'' He stuttered. ''Man…look at all of them…'' Tony said as he looked at the gnosis who were known for their hostility. Shion waved her arm in an ordering motion. ''KOS-MOS! Ultra Wide-Range Hilbert Effect!''

''Affirmative.'' KOS-MOS put the Hilbert Effect scope on and activated it. The wide range of the effect spread out from the ship, instantly bringing the gnosis into full existance. MOMO let out a small gasp of awe. ''That's amazing… Even an amplified system should only achieve a range of a hundred kilometers.'' Everyone felt the Elsa jerk forward.

''C-Captain! I can't control her!''

''Distortion in the gravity field! We're being pulled in!'' chaos said as the ship was is pulled in by a large, planet-sized gnosis.

Chapter Ten: End. (_Whoa, interesting stuff, eh? Shane's got a new outfit thanks to Shion and finally took a shower. What'll happen to Shane, Shion, and the others? Read on and find out! And please R & R.)_


	11. Lost in Cathedral Ship

**Chapter Eleven: Lost in Cathedral Ship**

_It happened again..._

_Everything went dark...did I do this...?_

_No...it's something else...something far worse._

Shane opened her eyes and woke up to similar surroundings she was in before. ''Oh, snap.'' She stood up, holding her head. ''I'm in a Cathedral Ship gnosis. Again,'' she said to herself. _This must be Ariadne, or was...damnit, Cherenkov--wait!_ She bit her bottom lip and looked around. She heard the nearby noises of smaller gnosis who were waiting for their next meal.

_Mmph, better get going...I got a date with that crazy bastard. _

Shane walked down different paths, running away from any gnosis who saw her. ''UWAHHH!!!'' She slid down a slippery slope and landed face first into the ground. ''..Ow...someone save me.'' She closed her eyes to see images of her family eating breakfast. A gruff man with black hair that was greying sat at the head of the table along with Shane, a little girl with black pigtails, and a woman with shoulder-length black hair.

_''Hey, you little creep! Give it back!''_

_''No, it's mine, Shane!''_

_''Knock it off, Shane! Don't argue with your sister!'' The woman said._

_Shane folded her arms, leaning back in her chair. ''...Kiara started it.''_

_''I don't want to hear it anymore. Now finish eating your breakfast,'' her mother told her._

The images ended when Shane looked up from the ground and stood up. ''Those images...am I feeling guilty?'' She placed a hand against her chest. She remembered the explosion and the light but after that...Shane glanced up as she gritted her teeth.

''Damnit! This is no time for regret! I gotta get the hell outta here!''

* * *

''So this is a Cathedral Ship… It does feel like we're inside a ship, but it certainly doesn't look like anything that belongs to the Federation…'' Ziggy said outloud. Shion's group were in another area of the large gnosis, looking for the Elsa and for her. Possibly. ''Could it be an alien ship?'' 

''I wonder…'' Shion looked over to a nearby figure and pointed at it. ''Look…over there.''

''What is it? A sign or something?'' chaos looked at the figure, straining his eyes. ''Hey, it's written in English,'' MOMO pointed out. It was the billboard with a fish on the front. ''But this is odd… It doesn't look like it's stuck on the wall… Doesn't it look more like a part of the wall itself?''

''Are you saying this sign is part of the Gnosis? How could that be…''

''Take a look around… That's not the only one. There's a lot a other stuff here, too,'' the white haired boy said. ''Are we really inside a Gnosis…?''

Shion closed her eyes and saw an image of the girl in black and white.

''Hurry! He'll be gone soon!''

The Vector employee shook her head then clapped her hands in her face, pulling herself together. ''What, did you find something?'' Shion looked up at the blonde cyborg. ''Huh…Uh, no, no, it's…it's nothing…'' She looked down at the ground. _That girl again…? What does she have to do with this place? Also...what happened to Shane?_

* * *

Shane had found an area where the buildings were still intact but windows were broken and walkways were broken or were about to break under the weight. She took off her boots and rubbed her feet gently. ''Geez...I don't see how Shion walks in her boots.'' She laid back against the steel floor, looking up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes again as the images came flooding back. 

_Shane walked through the woods with two dogs following beside her. She was bare-foot, carrying her black tennis shoes in her hand. She was humming the first opening theme to Blood as she stopped, looking up at the sky to see a plane passing overhead._

_''Another plane...of existance...''_

She opened her eyes again to reveal that they were of the red-violet hue Shion saw before. ''...Where I belong...?''

* * *

''It looks like…we've arrived at the center…'' 

Shion's group came to a large area that was shaped weirdly. They walked to the center, looking up at a gigantic thing that resembled the Zohar. ''What is that?'' Shion asked aloud. ''A building? Or maybe some sort of device…''

''What do you mean?''

chaos shook his head slowly. ''I don't know, it's just…''

''Yes…?'' She looked at him.

''Well, if this is really the center, it's possible that it may be of some importance to the Gnosis… But this, of course, is from our frame of reference, so we could be completely mistaken.''

''In other words, if that is a man-made object, it could be a ship or some other wreckage that was swallowed just as we were,'' Ziggy said as he looked up at the object. MOMO held her hands up to her face, trembling. ''What about us…? Are we gonna end up like that too?''

''We'll be sure to get out of here before that happens.'' Shion turned to look at KOS-MOS. ''KOS-MOS, what's the Elsa's current position?''

''Location unknown. I have lost its signal,'' she said.

''Lost…?''

KOS-MOS nodded some and continued her anaylsis. ''The Gnosis' magnetic and gravitational fields have become unstable near the center. The last known coordinates point to a location on the lower level, 300 meters below our present position.''

''That's pretty close? Shall we go?''

''Yes. Let's just hope the Elsa isn't in the same condition as the wreckage around here.''

The group moved onto the next area. They reached an office area and went down a large elevator to the bottom. There, the group unlocked a large door which said 'Locked' and went inside the next area. The group looked around the room then glanced up to see a large, golden pillar.

''Shion! Look at that…'' chaos said in awe. ''…The Zohar?''

''We must go.'' KOS-MOS stepped forward towards the Zohar. Shion followed after the android. ''Hey, KOS-MOS, wait! Don't you go off on your own…I don't recall programming her that way. But what's the Zohar doing here…?'' The red-eyed girl looked up at the pillar with calculating eyes.

''I have confirmed that this object can be identified with a 99.99998 probability, to be the Zohar Emulator that was stored onboard the Woglinde.''

''An emulator? Are you saying a real one exists somewhere else?'' The Vector employee asked.

''Affirmative.''

''Affirmative…? KOS-MOS, how do you know all of this? I never stored any type of information like that in your main databank…'' Shion looked at KOS-MOS with a confused look. ''You…you're the creator of that thing… And yet…you didn't even know about that…?'' Everyone looked over at Commander Cherenkov who had arrived, but his condition wasn't that good.

The Vector employee ran over to him. ''Commander Cherenkov! Are you all right?! Let's get out of…!'' She gasped as the commander suddenly turned partially invisible, reacting badly.

''Commander… Your body's…?!''

''Escape? What are you talking about? You think you'll survive…through something like this…?'' He moved past Shion and moved closer to the Zohar Emulator. ''That's right…I…I was the one behind the disappearance of the planet Ariadne…'' The commander confessed. ''All that mattered was the recovery of the Emulator. That was the reason behind the deployment of Vector and the military. They were really only pawns… But in spite of all that…'' He looked up at the Zohar Emulator then gasped in complete horror as he waved his arms in front of him. The group watched the commander who was horrified at an unknown entity.

''G-go away!! Don't come near me!'' Cherenkov said in a terrified voice. ''You were the ones who rejected me! So why are you bothering me now…?!'' He fell down onto the floor and screamed. ''Noooo!!'' The group watched in both shock and fear as an mysterious entity picked up the commander from the floor and into the air. The air around him was blurred and distorted. Ghost-like beings flew around the group as they flew into Cherenkov's body.

''W-What…is that…?''

''All photon, lepton, hadron, and graviton scans read negative.''

''Then what is it that we're seeing?!'' Shion said in a panicked voice. Everyone watched in horror as Cherenkov transformed into a beast-like gnosis.

''Oh, no!'' The doors hissed as they slid open. Ziggy and chaos turned around to see Shane who was breathing heavily from running. ''Damn...I'm too late!''

''I sense…?! It's a Gnosis!!'' Ziggy looked back at the gnosis then remembered his past and how the event was similar to what it is now. ''It's the same…just like that day…'' he said to himself.

Chapter Eleven: End. _(Told ya it was going to get interesting. We took a look back on Shane's past before the events of the story. Who knows, maybe she isn't human? 0.o Please R & R. Maybe you'll get fan service in Chp. 12.)_


	12. Touched by a Gnosis

**Chapter Twelve: Touched by a Gnosis**

_(A/N: HAHAHAHA!! I've reached Chapter 12 now! In your face! But thankies to the readers and reviews. ; I don't own Xenosaga but I own Shane.)_

The group, along with Shane, watched the former Commander Cherenkov transform into a beast-like gnosis. It resembled a over-fed gargoyle with two larva-like lackies at its side. The gargoyle roared loudly as everyone covered their ears. MOMO fell to her knees. She whimpered. Shane looked at the little girl then growled. Her eyes turned dark gold, her pupils slitted as she rushed at the gnosis.

''Rahhh!!!''

''Shane, don't!!''

The gargoyle looked to the running girl and swung its arm at her. She ducked down then punched the monster in its leg. Her arm was grabbed forcefully as she cried out, being thrown into the wall behind the group. MOMO stood up and ran over to the milky-haired girl who coughed up blood onto the ground. ''Ow...'' ''Shane, why did you--?'' She grinned sightly. ''Guess I got excited...and I saw how scared you were...'' The little girl held her hand gently as she looked back at the battle that took place behind her. Ziggy was standing in front of MOMO, protecting her and the fallen Shane.

''How is she, MOMO?''

''She has a dislocated arm and one of her ribs are broken...it's not puncturing any vital organs, but she shouldn't move for a while.''

The blonde cyborg watched Shion, KOS-MOS, and chaos fight off the gnosis as he looked down at the milky-haired girl. ''That was foolish, Shane. You know better than to attack a large gnosis like you did.'' ''Yeah, thanks for making feel even worse--ack!'' She groaned, laying her head down.

''Shane...!'' She could barely hear MOMO's voice anymore as she went into total darkness.

* * *

The milky-haired girl opened her eyes as she laid on the floor of an unknown room. She looked up to see Shion who stood on a small balcony. She was looking at two men who were talking in front of her. ''...Shion?'' She blinked and looked down at her. ''Ah...Shane?!'' She kneeled down, helping the girl up slowly.

''What are you doing here?''

''That's what I'd like to know myself...'' She looked at the two men who were talking, narrowing her eyes. _Margulis...Cherenkov..._

''Behold the light that spreads before your eyes. This light once symbolized civilization – the very will of the human race. But what can be gleaned from the light we see today? The people of this world have cast away their will to create, drowning themselves instead in an endless cycle of consumption… What you see now is the deceitful light cast by their stagnant eyes,'' Margulis told Cherenkov as they both looked outside a large window. Shion looked at the two along with Shane. ''The Commander… But, who's that with him…?''

''Hells if I know.''

''The people you've encountered in your lifetime are not people at all. They're less than human – mere sacks of flesh and bone. Only upon the realization of self-will, can a person truly be called a man…'' The tall burgandy haired man turned to face the commander. ''You chose to reject the false light, refused to succumb to their lies… That's why you never faltered, even after all the personality reconditioning.''

''The Commander…underwent personality reconditioning…?'' Shion asked aloud. ''Maybe it was his past that led to the reconditioning..'' _Even though I know what happened... ''_Long ago, man was forced to leave behind his homeland… This was brought about by the masses who extinguished the very light that drove their will. So how about it, Cherenkov? Let us rekindle the torch so that human consciousness may once again be resurrected… For our sake…and that of our god…'' They watched the sunrise from the horizon of the planet they were passing by.

''Happiness? Were those my feelings just now? No…it must have been the Commander's feelings.'' The Vector employee looked at Cherenkov.''Commander… What is it that you were searching for?''

Shane closed her eyes slowly as she opened her eyes again to see a beach in black and white with Cherenkov and Shion.

''Commander…''

''I never really existed at all… I…'' He took a deep breath as he told the two girls his story. ''36 years ago… The year after the Zoar Incident, which led up to the Miltian Conflict. I was brought into this world as a weapon of warfare… It happened all the time back then. Killing was my…no, our whole reason for existence. The fortunate ones were those who could adapt to that way of life. Even luckier were those who died on the battlefield. But I was never granted that opportunity. Before I could find some significance to my own life, the war ended, and I was left behind while the world went on.'' He continued. ''I tried to adapt… But the language I spoke was so different from the rest of the world. I thought the entire world had rejected me. But the Commander… It felt like he really needed me. I saw a future for myself in the Commander… Or, I wanted to, at least. But I had to rely on the drugs to communicate with the rest of the world. It was because I hadn't changed… After everything that happened, I hadn't changed at all. Now I finally understand. The world didn't reject me, I rejected the world."

Cherenkov smiled to himself as he looked out to the horizon. "Shion… I like it here. I'm the only living thing that exists in this place. There's nothing else. No anger, no sadness, no happiness, not even a future… The only thing that's here…is me. And that'll eventually fade away… It feels good… This is exactly what I've been searching for all this time… Shion…you'll eventually find yourself here, too… I'm sure of it… It won't be much longer… I know… I…can tell…but Shane...I'm not so sure about you..." Shion and Shane closed their eyes as they disappeared.

* * *

Back in the present, the Gargoyle disappeared, letting out a roar of pain. Shion fell to her knees, crying softly. MOMO shook the girl's shoulders and snapping her from her grief induced trance. ''Shion! Shion!''

Shion blinked as she looked around "What was that…? Where's Commander Cherenkov…''

chaos looked saddned as the young woman could tell that Cherenkov was already gone. Shion continued to cry softly, wiping her tears with her left arm. ''Shion…'' "chaos! What just happened? Where is he? What have we done?! Tell me…" She held his hand tightly then placed her head on his knee, crying softly. He stroked her hair gently.

''Ziggy, did something happen?" Ziggy didn't answer the little girl. ''Ziggy…?"

"It's…nothing you need to worry about…" He looked to Shion "I'm sorry…" She sobbed, looking at chaos. ''Was that really the Commander?! Tell me, chaos! Surely we didn't…" He placed both of his hands on her shoulders gently. ''Shion… The truth isn't always a pleasant thing to know,'' he said in an gentle voice.

Shion looked down. ''chaos… Are we all…going to end up like him…?''

"We're still here and none of us have turned into Gnosis. Perhaps we can take solace in that."

He comforted her again and helped her stand up. "Here stand up…" Shion began to calm down, taking deep breaths. ''Okay…where's Shane?'' Shion looked over to see the girl laying on her side, blood trickling from the corners of her mouth.

''Oh my god...'' She ran over to her and lifted her up slowly. MOMO ran over. ''She has a dislocated arm and a broken rib,'' she told her. ''But she's still alive.'' Shion sighed a breath of relief. _Thank goodness... _Just then, Shion's group felt the Cathedral Ship shaking. ''The connection between the phenomenon boundaries is dissipating. If this continues, this spatial location will disappear. We are in danger.'' The area began to fade away to show the outside.

Space.

''This isn't good!'' Ziggy yelled as the group floated upwards. The entire area of Cathedral Ship faded away.

''Oh! Look! Over there!'' The group looked over to see the Elsa, with its lights on, moving towards them.

''Heyyy, Ms. Vector! You still alive?'' The captain's voice yelled out over the intercom. ''Chieeef! Are you all riiight?!''

"Captain! Allen!'' Shion said as she held onto Shane protectively. The group floated to where the Elsa's catapult opened, getting in. Then, the Elsa sped away from the Gnosis who were following after them.

''They're coming after us!''

"Full speed ahead! Shake 'em off!'' Tony nodded, increasing the speed. "Aye, sir!" The ship continued to fly at high speeds in an attempt to save their lives from the monsters.''Man… There's a ton of 'em!'' Hammer said, looking at the screen. As the Elsa sped away, blue lasers fired from above and destroyed the gnosis that were chasing after the cargo ship.

"What the…?!'' From above, a large red starship with two wing-like orbiters circling around it. A look of surprise came onto Captain Matthews' face. "The Durandal?!''

On the bridge of the ship now known as the Durandal, a red-haired boy with blue eyes stood with his hands on his hips, a wide grin on his face. "You got it!" he said. The bridge had 100-Series Realians who sat at consoles and typed hurriedly, not looking away from the screen. A purple haired woman turned to look back at the red-haired boy. "Registration confirmed, Little Master. It's the Elsa,'' she told him.

"Jeez…Those guys were damn lucky we were passing by. What the hell are they doing here? Well, whatever. All guns, target the Gnosis. Cut open an escape path for Elsa and annihilate the enemy!'' He ordered. The starship immediately fired a bunch of lasers at the Gnosis and they blew up in chains. Back in the Elsa, the group walked to the bridge. Ziggy carried Shane on his back as she groaned in response. He looked up to hear the blasts from outside and felt the ship shaking. "Sounds like the fighting's started,'' he said.

MOMO looked up at him and Shion. "Are we going to be okay? There were so many of them when we transferred in..." The Vector employee narrowed her eyes. "They destroyed an entire Federation fleet. It would be wiser for us to flee than fight." Outside, the battle against the gnosis and the Durandal continued.

"This is no good. We'll never get all of them. What should we do?" A blonde woman said to the little master. He gritted his teeth, growling. ''We should've resupplied earlier… This is what I get for taking on the U-TIC. Otherwise this would be a cinch…'' The purple haired woman typed hurriedly on the console she was sitting at. "Little Master. Enemy group formation approaching from five o'clock. We're being surrounded on all sides,'' she said in a monotone voice.

"So, they're not gonna let us go, huh? And they've coordinated their attack patterns… I've never seen them fight like this before. Even if we gate-jump out of here, we may not be able to shake 'em."

A 100-Series Realian cried out, "Little Master! Another group is chasing after the Elsa!" On the large screen, it showed the Elsa was being chased after by the gnosis. Back on the cargo ship, the group walked onto the bridge.

"Captain!'' Shion called out. The captain looked back at her. "Hey! You all right?" She shook her head. ''Shane needs medical attention!'' He nodded then looked to Tony. ''Tony! Can you lose 'em?" The pilot shook his head. "I doubt it…They're a lot faster then we are," he said in an hopeless voice. "Damn it! The Durandal's guns aren't slowing them down. What're we gonna do…?!"

Down in the lower section of the Elsa, KOS-MOS entered the cargo elevator and she went up. Hammer looked at the warning signal on his screen with a confused and surprised look on his face. "Huh? Hatch number 17 is open…? Was somebody still down there?!'' He asked. Shion gasped, realizing that the blue-haired android wasn't on the bridge with everyone, save Shane. "It's KOS-MOS! What is she…"

The navigator typed hurriedly on his console. ''I'll put it on the monitor.'' He revealed a screen that showed KOS-MOS, her back to the screen, riding the cargo elevator up. "KOS-MOS! KOS-MOS! KOS-MOS!! What are you doing?! Get back here!!" The Vector employee yelled as the hatch opened above the android. "There's too many of them for you to destroy! You're not equipped to handle that great number!"

The blue-haired android had her head lowered as she asked, "Shion… Will feeling pain…make me…complete?" She lifted her head and opened her eyes to show that they were blue instead of her default red.

_**"**_What? I can't hear you!"

"The air is too thin for her voice to carry!" Hammer said. The screen immediately closed. KOS-MOS made her way to the roof of the Elsa as she floated to the front roof.

"Attract Inhibitor output at 300 percent. Zohar Emulator waves can no longer be suppressed!" A 100-Series Realian said. The red-head growled. "What the hell… Now they're acting up?!" The purple haired woman typed hurriedly, looking up from the keys and to the screen. "Intruder alert in the Pieta motherframe! Permutational phenomena appearing in the Variant!"

"In Momma? Where's it coming from?!"

"Scanning transfection course…" One of the 100-Series scanned from her console as the transfection course data appeared. "Course tracked! It's coming from the quarantine hangar!" His blue eyes went wide. "The quarantine hangar…it can't be the Zohars?" He asked in a worried voice."It is,'' the 100-Series replied. " External sources are sending requests to the Zohars!"

"Paradigm contamination is spreading! If this keeps up, the motherframe will be taken over!" The purple haired woman told him. "Cut off the main line to the quarantine hangar! Stabilize the Attract Inhibitor through a secondary line!

"Main line purged! All signals blocked!"

KOS-MOS looked at the large amount of gnosis that chased after the Elsa as she activated her torso weapon and fired a big laser beam at the Gnosis, destroying them all. The blue-haired android closed her eyes, opening them again to reveal her red eyes. On the bridge of the Elsa, everyone had watched in awe as the gnosis were destroyed by KOS-MOS. Captain Matthews leaned back in his chair, sighing a breath of relief. "Heck, that wasn't so bad,'' he said. Allen looked at Shion with a worried look. "Chief…"

"Did… …did that really just happen?" She asked softly. "Yeah… It appeared as if she absorbed the Gnosis." She looked down then shook her head. "How could she have weaponry we don't even know about…? No, that wasn't a weapon, that was…"

"…something impossible,'' the brown haired man finished. The captain shrugged. "Who cares if it's possible or not? She got rid of the Gnosis, right?" Hammer looked back at him then said, "Uhh…Captain? Little Master's been buzzing us for awhile…"

"Huh? Oh. Patch him in." As Allen spoke with the captain and the navigator, Shion looked down at the floor. _This isn't the KOS-MOS that I built… Kevin… Is this your hand at work…? Is this the real KOS-MOS that you wished to create…?_

''...Shion?''

She looked up at Ziggy who still had Shane on his back. ''She's bleeding profusely from her mouth and it's sticking to me.'' A look of complete shock came onto the Vector employee's face. ''Oh my god! Shane, wake up! I'm so sorry we forgot about you!''

''...Yeah, sure, I'm loved now.''

Chapter Twelve: End. _(Yup, Shane's loved by everyone, alright. AND I showed JR., Gunz! That was for you. Please R & R, everyone!)_


	13. Critical State

**Chapter Thirteen: Critical State**

After the battle and the defeat of the gnosis, the Durandal flew near the Zohar. Back at Pleroma, a U-TIC soldier looked back at Margulis who stood on a balcony-esque stand. ''What is it?'' he asked coldly. ''...Commander Cherenkov's S.M.S tracking signal has...disappeared.'' The U-TIC commander's face turned into a look of anger as the other soldiers wondered why. Pellegri looked at him then to the soldier. ''And the U.M.N.?'' ''I was able to track him while he traveled through hyperspace, but I lost him at point 2100-783. There are traces of a space-time anomaly at the same point, so we believe the gnosis may have been there...''

''I see...'' The blonde woman said slowly. Margulis said nothing of the report.

''Quick, take the girl to the infirmary and begin emergency surgery!'' Shion's group along with the Elsa crew boarded the Durandal as a group of doctors came up with a stretcher. Ziggy placed Shane on the stretcher gently then placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. ''You'll be okay,'' he told her. The milky-haired girl had one eye open as she was taken to the infirmary.

''Shane...''

''Will she be okay, Shion?'' MOMO asked. She looked down at the little girl and nodded. ''Shane's strong. She'll be alright.''

The group went up the elevator to the bridge as they saw the red-haired boy talking with a blonde haired woman. ''...So, ya got it?'' He asked. ''Roger, Little Master,'' she said. He turned to the group as they walked over. chaos smiled at him. ''Thanks for helping us out.'' He grinned, waving his hand in front of his face. ''You guys better fill me in on the situation later.'' He rubbed the back of his head. ''Man, what the heck is going on here...? And Momma's gone and caught a bug so we can't perform any investigations or analyses for a while.'' ''That's terrible,'' chaos told him. ''Tell me about it.''

Allen looked to Captain Matthews and asked, "Hey, is that Little Master?'' The captain nodded. ''He's our boss...the head honcho.'' He looked at the red-haired boy. ''Hey, Little Master...we picked up a couple of passagers headed for Second Miltia while we were working. What should we do with 'em?''

''They look like they're in pretty deep with something...well, your first concern should be to repair the Elsa. Why don't you get it fixed over at the Foundation? You won't make it very far in that kinda shape. Also, the doctors are doing everything they can with that girl who was brought in.'' Shion looked at him then covered her mouth some. ''Foundation...? You mean the Kukai Foundation?! From the Galactic Finance 500's ''Top 10 Fastest Growing Corporations" list? Then you must be...?!''

The red-head grinned, shaking his head. ''Ah...the business stuff was meant to be a side thing. We got lucky, that's all,'' he told her. Allen leaned over to the Vector employee with a worried look. ''This is bad, Chief! We can't associate with these people!''

''Hey, hey, I heard that, man. Would you rather we left you here in space?'' The red-head asked him with a cold-like stare. ''Uh, n-no, sorry, sir!'' Captain Matthews chuckled. ''Look, Little Master, what do you say we just leave this wuss behind? He spends all his time moaning and groaning...''

"Hey! Come on, Captain...! c-chaos! Help me out here!''

chaos held his hands up, shaking his head in response. ''Well...it's not really up to me, you know. I'd better leave this one to you two.'' The red-head grinned and said, "Then I'm definitely giving him the boot.'' Allen stepped back, groaning. ''C...Come on!'' The boy let out a short laugh as he lightly punched him in his arm. ''Hey man, don't freak out. We're just playing...'' He looked to see Shion had turned away as she looked at the floor.

''What's wrong? Something worrying you?'' he asked her. She turned to him, moving her bangs from her glasses. ''Huh? Oh, no, it's nothing. I'm Shion Uzuki. Nice to...um..meet you...'' He held out a hand to the young womn. ''Jr.,Gaignun Jr. I got a real name, but let's just leave it at that for now. Good to meet ya.'' Jr. shook her hand then turned to the purple haired woman. ''Shelley, change of plans.We're returning to the Foundation. Make sure to tell Gaignun that we've secured the final Emulator.''

''Roger. Preparing to return to the Foundation,'' Shelley said as she typed at her console. The Durandal immediately used the jump gate to head to the Kukai Foundation. After the starship left, an A.G.W.S piloted by everyone's favorite psycho watched.

* * *

Later, Shion and MOMO went to visit Shane in the Durandal's infirmary. Her chest and stomach were wrapped in clean, white bandages that could be seen under the white gown. Her arm was wrapped and was covered with a black brace (with the Vector Industries logo on the side of it) that was made to heal the broken bone.

''Does that brace work, Shion?'' MOMO asked. The brown haired girl nodded as she moved her hand against Shane's cheek. ''Yes, it does. I'm surprised the medical team didn't put the chest/torso brace on her.''

''Actually, they put the brace on the young lady as they finished wrapping her up with the bandages.'' Shion and MOMO turned to the country voice of the blonde haired woman they saw earlier on the bridge. ''Hey, you're...'' ''I'm Mary. Mary Godwin.'' She shook hands with the both of them. ''Your friend is pretty lucky. If you didn't bring her here sooner, she would've lost conciousness or worse...'' Shion nodded some. ''At least she's okay,'' she said. ''It was foolish of what she did.''

''And what was that?''

''When we were inside the gnosis...she attacked...'' Shion had trailed off as she remembered Commander Cherenkov. ''You okay?'' Mary asked in an concerned voice. The brown haired woman shook her head, regaining her composure. ''She attacked a large gnosis--without any help of a weapon--and was thrown against the wall.'' MOMO winced when she remembered seeing and hearing the sickening thud. She looked at Shane who had stirred some in her sleep.

''Shane?''

''...Where's my cookie?'' She said in a slurred voice.

The little girl clapped her hands together and giggled happily. ''Shane, you're okay!'' Shion and Mary turned to the girl. The young woman groaned as she raised her free hand slowly to touch her head. ''Where...?'' ''You're on the Durandal, heading to the Kukai Foundation,'' Mary told Shane. ''You're okay.'' She noticed the girl's eyes---a dark red with a tint of gold. She blinked when she yawned and winced from the pain.

''God, that HURTS,'' she said aloud.

''Don't move so much then!''

''Well, I wanna stretch and yawn, damnit!'' Mary watched Shion and Shane argue about her not moving due to her wounds as her face softened some.

_This girl...just who is she? Is she just like the Little Master?_

* * *

The next day, Jr. and Shelley took the group (along with the recuperating Shane who was released only to walk around to help with the healing process) to the Isolation Area of the Durandal. Shane looked around the area, scratching her head some. ''What is this place? The environmental controls here seem extremely strict...'' MOMO said aloud as she looked at the area. Shion looked at the large pillars that circled the huge room. ''They're so big...six to each side, with one directly across...''

''Thirteen in all. Looks like each block has a name inscribed on it.'' Ziggy said, looking at the pillars. ''You've got great eyesight!'' Shane rubbed the back of her head. ''Better than mine...wish I'd brought my glasses with me...'' Shion looked at the names inscribed on the pillars. ''Hmm, let's see...Peter...Andrew...Boanerges...Thomas...John...umm...''

''Philip, Matthew, Bartholomew, James, Thaddaeus, Simon, Judas.'' KOS-MOS finished. ''And the last one...''

''It appears to say 'Marienkind'.'' Shane tilted her head. ''Dang, that's familiar,'' she said as Shion nodded. ''Marienkind...I think I've heard that somewhere, too...''

''It means 'the child of Mary','' Shelley told them. Jr. turned to everyone as they stopped in front of a large room. ''This is where we store all the really dangerous items. Stuff like this...'' He said, activating the console that opened the covers of the Zohars. Shion let out a small gasp of surprise. ''Zohars?!''

''Actually, they're all Emulators,'' the red-head told everyone, ''And they've all been sealed, including the one we just retrieved.'' ''Why are these Zohars here...?'' She asked. ''Doing some research or somethin'?''

''Well, our corporation does dabble a little in everything. Besides, these days, you can't get by without having something to deal with the gnosis. And we definitely can't wait around for the Federation to get off its lazy butt.'' MOMO pointed to the door across from them. ''What's in the room across from us?'' Jr. shook his head.

''Nothing pleasant, I'll tell you that much.''

''You're not going to show us?'' The brown haired woman asked.

''Trust me, it ain't something you'd want to see.''

Shane stepped forward as she placed a hand on her hip (since her other arm was still in the brace). ''Look,'' she said in a firm voice, ''You might as well show us since you're obviously trying to hide something. You want me to beat your face in?''

''...Violent, aren't we?'' The red-head asked.

''But more tame than most people.'' Shion sighed. ''Even if we were to consider the diversity of your businesses, you're still a foundation, right? I mean, the weaponry on this ship far outclass those on any warship… Who are you people, anyway…?'' Jr. looked at the two then looked to the door. ''We were more or less a government organization, previously.'' He opened the door to the room.

''Well...I guess if you want to see it that badly...'' The group went into the room, seeing large containers and the creatures inside. ''What's this?'' Shion asked. She looked to see a woman who was horribly mutated. She covered her mouth, gasping in horror.

''What the hell...?'' Shane said as she looked at the woman. ''I warned you. You weren't gonna like it, didn't I?''

''All of these specimens appear to be humans whose bodies turned into gnosis,'' KOS-MOS observed. ''Transformed bodies...I've only heard of them before,'' Ziggy said as he looked at the mutated people in the containers.

''Most people just turn white and shatter to pieces, but there are a few exceptions...'' Jr. turned to look at the mutated female. ''...And they end up like this. We've named this one 'Betty', for now. It's hard to look straight at them...but I don't want to refer to them by some code name or number. It's just not right to treat the dead like mere objects.'' MOMO looked at the woman and asked, ''Is that a lady?''

''She was a little girl...the last time we saw her,'' the red-head told her. Shane looked at the creatures then knelt down, ignoring the sharp pain that shot up her sides and back. ''People turning into gnosis...? Have you learned anything about them?'' Allen asked. ''Not much. Plenty of gnosis remains have been recovered to date, but nobody's learned a thing from them. You know what they're composed of?''

''No...''

''Sodium chloride. Plain old salt. Even their translucent bodies, they're mostly made up of water and sodium hydroxide. How can ordinary compounds like that form creatures like them? No one really knows why those who survive gnosis encounters always turn into one of them. Some people think they're a new type of virus; others say they're beings from another dimension who take on temporary forms in this one.''

Shion remembered when she was grabbed by a gnosis in the Woglinde and Shane remembered when she was attacked by gnosis who she believed to be her family and neighbors. ''Always...? No exceptions?'' The brown haired woman asked. ''Even if one of us was grabbed and thrown?''

''Nope. Not as far as I know,'' Jr. said. ''And that was a stupid thing to do.'' The milky-haired girl growled. ''Sticks and stones, Jr. I'm taller and older than you and what you say can't hurt me.'' _Even though the older part doesn't count... _''Whatever, bipolar girl.'' Shane hissed at him. ''Knock it off, you two,'' Ziggy scolded. Shion remembered back to the time in the Cathedral Ship, seeing Cherenkov as a gnosis. ''So they could be from another dimension? Wouldn't that mean that their true forms might exist somewhere else...?'' Allen asked.

''Who knows? All that's certain is that they're hostile to humans. Not that such a sentiment is unique to them.'' Allen looked at Shion who had a look on her face like there was something wrong. ''Chief, is something wrong?'' ''Huh?'' She looked back at him then shook her head. ''No, don't worry...it's nothing.'' She looked at Jr. ''So...so when did this all begin?''

''Unofficially, phenomena like this have been occuring periodically for the past few centuries. But...after a certain incident, the gnosis leapt into the forefront of history...''

Shane looked at him as she narrowed her dark red eyes. ''A certain incident?'' MOMO asked. ''The Miltian Conflict. Joachim Mizrahi...it was he who opened Pandora's Box and unleashed the gnosis upon the galaxy...and we're all paying for his ambition,'' Jr. said. ''Joachim Mizrahi...the brilliant scientist who founded the U-TIC Organization...''

''Brilliant? He was a lunatic. Unable to bear his curiosity, he invited the gnosis into our world.''

''A lunatic...?'' The pink haired girl said in a soft voice. _...MOMO... _Shane watched the girl walk away as she followed after her. ''The Foundation was established after the war by the newly formed Second Miltian government, to clean up and investigate the facts behind the incident. Technically, that's our real job. Problem is, the funding's tight in peacetime. On top of that, running the Foundation takes a staggering amount of money, and the management of these Zohars ain't cheap, either. So, we ended up privatizing part of our operations and became a foundation. We never imagined that some of our side businesses would hit it so big, though.''

''MOMO-chan, wait a sec!'' The pair walked out of the room with the containers of creatures. She looked up at the milky-haired girl then looked down at the floor. ''Shane...Daddy...Daddy wasn't like that, you know.''

''I...I'm sure he was a great man, MOMO. I'll walk with you, okay?'' She nodded and took Shane's hand into hers as they walked out of the Isolated Area.

Shion's group headed outside of the room with containers after Jr.'s explaination. Shion and KOS-MOS walked in the space where the lightning was a orange color as Allen walked up to the brown haired woman. ''Shelley called for me, so I'm heading over to the bridge.'' Shion nodded as she and the android stopped for a moment. ''I wonder where MOMO and Shane went?''

* * *

Shion and KOS-MOS walked to the park area of the Durandal. There, MOMO and Shane sat on a bench. The milky haired young woman looked up at the ceiling as MOMO looked up at the many floating light-green lights around them. ''What do you all thing...? Joachim Mizrahi, the lunatic...was daddy really like that? Since daddy built us, does that mean Realians are bad people, too?'' she said to herself. Shane looked at the little girl then placed her hand on her head.

_I don't know what to tell you, kid..._

She looked up to see the Vector employee and the blue-haired android walked over to them. ''MOMO...Shane...we were looking all over for you.'' The milky-haired girl waved at them as MOMO looked at them. ''Hello, Shion...'' Shion sat down beside MOMO. ''What's wrong? You look kinda down.''

''Shion, I...I was created by Joachim Mizrahi. He designed the 100-Series Realians back when the Federation funded him.''

''I know,'' the brown haired woman said. MOMO looked down at the floor, gripping her skirt gently. ''Shion, I...Daddy wasn't a lunatic...I don't even know what I am.''

''Identity diffusion...the eternal dilemma.'' Shion held out her hand as one of the glowing lights--a firefly--landed on her finger. ''Do you know about the environmental bugs onboard this ship? They're actually nanomachines, you know, used to keep enclosed spaces like this clean. I'd say that…of all the things Professor Mizrahi – or anyone else – created, they rank up there pretty high. These bugs may be man-made, but they function as if they've existed all along,'' she said to MOMO. ''Almost as if they were meant to be… I think Realians are the same. The only difference between us, is the length of our histories. But regardless of our origins, each one of us has an important role to fulfill in this world. Besides, I really doubt Dr. Mizrahi was a dangerous person like everyone makes him out to be. And it's not just because of the environmental bugs. The work he did on Realians was incredibly insightful.''

KOS-MOS stepped forward. ''The fundamental Gnosis research Professor Mizrahi left behind played a critical role in the development of modern anti-Gnosis technology." Shion smiled. "Thanks for the backup, KOS-MOS! I'm really glad to see you react like that. Empathizing with the feelings of others is a major factor in human relationships.'' "Although I do not believe that the current situation called for me to act in an empathetic manner, I am pleased to be of service to you,'' she answered.

MOMO giggled to herself. ''…I think KOS-MOS is really funny. Too bad she doesn't take instructions very well. I never got to meet Daddy, but he used to talk to me all the time before I was born. It's all a little hazy, but I remember him telling me that… I could become a real person if I did good deeds…'' The brown haired woman looked to her. "Really? That's a wonderful memory to have…''

''Similar to how a mother talks to her baby in the womb, right?'' Shion nodded. ''Exactly.''

''Chief!'' The girls turned to see Allen who ran into the park and over to them. He stopped, breathing heavily. ''Take deep breaths, buddy,'' Shane told him. He nodded and took small breathes. "Great news! After this ship arrives at the Kukai Foundation, they're gonna take us to Second Miltia!"

"Second Miltia? Really?" Allen nodded. "Apparently, they have some work to take care of out there. The Captain's still whining about repairing the Elsa, but…''

"Some work…? I wonder…?"

"Huh?" The brown haired and looked at her. "Well… I'm sure they've got their own reasons, but don't you think it's a little strange that everyone's heading for Miltia?"

"Not really… It's probably just a coincidence. I'm just glad we saved some money. Not to mention that this ship's a million times better equipped than the Elsa,'' he told her. "They saved Shane from her injuries and we'll have nothing to worry about if we run into the Gnosis again. Hey, speaking of which, did you check out your room? They all have jacuzzis and minibars, and…Hey, what's wrong, Chief?" He looked at Shion who had a look of displeasure on her face as she sighed. "Nothing, nothing. I'm just jealous of how easily swayed you are…''

''God, Allen, you'll never get her that way...''

''What was that, Shane?'' The milky haired girl coughed, falling off the bench. ''..Nothing. Just a random train of thought just now.'' She grinned when they looked at her with confused looks on their faces. ''Uh, Shion? Why don't we go to our rooms? I'm sure what Allen said is true--the rooms must be really big and cool-looking. Like a hotel!''

Shion nodded as the group walked to the resting room in the Residential Area. In the hallway, Shane held her side and turned to the brown-haired woman. ''I better get back to the infirmary. The braces are workin' their magic, though.'' She smiled at the girl. ''That's Vector for you. You get some rest and I'll visit you in the morning. I'm really tired now...I think I'll call it a day.'' Shane nodded. ''It's best to rest when you're tired. Pushin' ourselves too hard is bad for out health. I'll see you tomorrow morning,'' she told the Vector employee. The two girls went to their seperate ways to sleep for the night.

_

* * *

''No, stay away for me!!'' A frightened young woman's voice echoed through the darkness of a large corridor. ''I wanna go back home!'' The girl tripped as platnium silver hair cascaded down her back, over her shoulders and her eyes. She had dark skin and wore a large white shirt. She sobbed to herself as she wiped the tears streaming down her face. The girl stood up and looked around. ''Where'd he...''_

_''My little Kirshwasser...'' A man's cold yet calm voice echoed through the darkness. The girl turned around to see a white haired man with dark skin walking towards her. Her golden eyes went wide as she stepped back. Her hands went up to her face. _

_''No...I'm not your--''_

_''Oh, yes you are. Even though, you're an much older version,'' he told her as he had stopped 3 feet away from her. She narrowed her eyes then went into a fighting stance. ''Fuck you, you bastard!'' The girl rushed the man with wreckless abandon as a white light shined from her hand._

_''Dragon Strike!'' The blast hit the man's hand and destroyed his entire arm to the shoulder up. The girl grinned but her grin faded once she saw his arm regenerate back. ''Defiant, aren't we, Kirshwasser?'' He said, grinning widely. She gasped as he grabbed her by the neck roughly. She coughed, the wind knocking out of her when he slammed her into the ground. _

_''D-damn you...let go or I'll...!'' _

_''You'l do what, my Kirshwasser?'' He moved his face closer to hers. ''You'll kill me?'' She turned her head from him as his hand moved down to her chest. She screamed when he ripped open her shirt. She let out a horrible scream..._

_A cry for help as her world turned white._

* * *

''NOOOOO!!!'' Shane cried out in the darkness of the infirmary. She sat up fast as she breathed heavily, tears streaming down her face. What the hell...was that real just now...? She bit her lip as she slowly climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom. She turned on the light, looking at herself in the mirror.

She was shocked at what she saw.

Instead of being the plain milky white before, it was a shade of moonlight silver. Her skin tone was still the same--milk chocolate colored. Her eyes are what caught her attention. They weren't dark red, but a darker shade of gold. She touched her face with her hands gently. ''What the hell's going on with my body...?'' She looked at her arm in the black brace. ''...I'm not in any pain?'' She twisted her waist around, closing her eyes to feel any sharp pain that came.

But nothing happened. Shane immediately took off the brace on her arm to see slight bruising and the little scars on her arm from the burns. ''Dude, what the fuck?'' She took off the gown and took off the brace to show some slight bruising.

And something else too.

Her body was built.

''...What the crap's happening to me?'' A knock came from the door as Shane stuck her head out the bathroom. ''..Yeah?'' ''Shane? Are you okay? I thought I heard screaming,'' Shion's voice asked from behind the door. The silver-haired girl walked out of the bathroom and to the door, opening it. ''I'm alright...just a bad dream.''

''...What did you do to your hair and eyes?''

''When I woke up from my dream, it was already like this.'' Shion chuckled. ''Well, it suits you. Come on, take a shower, and get dressed. We're going to the park with the others.''

''Alright, I'll be out in a sec.'' Shane walked to the bathroom as the door closed behind her. _Damn...this fever's getting to me..._

Chapter Thirteen: End _(ASM: Oooh...what's up with Shane's weird dream about our favorite psycho?_

_Shane: ...And that little scene? I **REALLY** don't want to be put in a situation like that, but knowing you, you'd do it._

_Albedo: 'Cause Also's a 'ervert in disguise. gets smacked_

_Jr.: ...R & R, please.)_


	14. Arriving at the Foundation

**Chapter Fourteen: Arriving at the Foundation**

As the Durandal flew to the Kukai Foundation, the group made their way to the park to look at the floating station. Shane ran over to the window as she placed her hands against the window, a wide grin on her face along with a look of awe. ''My god, that place is so cool..!'' Allen and MOMO looked at the girl then to Shion. ''Shion...how did Shane...her lifesigns are normal...and her hair and eyes...'' ''Like I said, Shane's a strong girl...stronger than most humans, I think..''

''...So, that's the Kukai Foundation? They sure know how to spend their money,'' Allen said. The pink haired girl nodded. ''I can't wait to see the Durandal turn into a skyscraper! It's so beautiful...'' Shion and Shane turned to look back at MOMO.

''What? We're...going to dock, just like this?'' The brown haired woman asked in a surprised voice. ''Dude, that's fucking awesome!'' Shion covered the pink haired girl's ears just in time. ''Shane, watch your language!'' The silver haired girl held up her arms in response. ''Sorry!''

''Uh, this ship's supposedly one of the most famous landmarks in the Foundation. I saw it in a travel guide on the Elsa.'' Allen reached into his pocket and pulled out the guide. ''See?''

''Oh, really? I'd never know...I don't check out vacation guides very often...''

''You need a break once in a while, Shion.''

''And you need to watch your language.'' Shane growled, folding her arms. ''Sorry...'' MOMO looked up then pointed out the window. ''Oh, look, we're docking!''

As she said this, the ship docked vertically with the pointy nose tip rising. Everyone in the group watched the view turn vertical, the ship docking in its' rightful place--in the middle of the Kukai Foundation. Shane slipped down to her knees as MOMO looked at her. ''You okay, Shane?'' The silver haired girl groaned, holding her head. ''Aw, I'm fine...it's just the gravity changed and...I feel sick 'cause of it.'' She looked up to see Mary, Shelley, and a black haired man with green eyes wearing a suit come into the park.

"New Year's Eve is the best time to visit. The evening metropolis is quite a sight to behold with all her lights.''

''Gaignun Kukai...the managing director of the Kukai Foundation,'' she heard Ziggy say. She stood up staight, moving her hair behind her ear.

''Huh? Jr. ...?'' Shion whispered. ''What was that?'' Gaignun asked her as he walked up to Shion. ''Ah, nothing...nice to meet you.'' He smiled and held his hand out to her.

''Welcome to the Kukai Foundation.''

Shion looked down at his hand, seeing the numbers ''669'' on his right palm then shook his hand slowly. ''I heard about your situation from Captain Matthews and chaos. Is everything all right?'' She nodded some. ''Oh, us, yes. Thank you for all your help.'' Gaignun smiled at her. ''Enjoy your stay.'' He turned and walked over to MOMO.

_What's wrong with me...? Acting so rudely toward someone I just met..._

''And you must be MOMO. I've recieved word from Juli Mizrahi of the Contact Subcommittee. We'll make sure you get to Miltia safety. ''From...Mommy?!'' MOMO exclaimed. He nodded. ''Right. She told me to take good care of you,'' he said. ''Can I...talk to her?'' Gaignun shook his head. ''Well...she seemed pretty busy.''

''Oh...I see...why doesn't Mommy ever want to see me?'' MOMO asked sadly.

MOMO-chan... Shane looked to her then looked at Gaignun. ''I'll let you know as soon as I hear from her again.'' The pink haired girl nodded. ''All right...thank you very much.''

_Geez...all this stardom is too much for me...I'm gonna blow a fuse if he walks over here..._

''..iss?''

_And to make matters worse, I argued with his red-haired, blue-eyed guncrazy counter part!_

''Excuse me, are you alright?'' Shane looked up at Gaignun who held his hand out to her. ''...GAH! I'm so sorry, sir!'' She bowed lowly then raised up to shake his hand nervously. ''I'm Shane Lee...and I'm from Fifth Jerusalem and I'd like to go home, please.''

''Your full name's Shane Lee?''

''It's longer...and stupid sounding...''

''...And your kind of squeezing my hand, Ms. Shane.''

Shane looked down at her hand and Gaignun's as she let go with her face completely red. ''S-sorry!'' ''It's fine, really, Ms. Shane. Enjoy your stay here.'' He turned and walked out of the park with Mary and Shelley. He stopped once he was at a far enough distance, looking at Shion and Shane strangely.

_No...it can't be..._

* * *

Later, in Gaignun's office, Jr. leaned back in a chair behind the dark haired man's desk with his feet propped up on the desk. ''That android, KOS-MOS,'' he said, ''She's got an incredible amount of potential, you know. There's no way she's just a prototype. I'm also concerned about how she resonated with the Emulators..'' 

"The Hilbert Effect… I heard they lost the archetype, but it looks like there's more to this than it seems… And don't forget about her engineer… What was her name? Shion? And the other girl...Shane... I think they might be on to us…and our powers. ''

"No way. They're just ordinary humans,'' the red-head said in an nonchalant voice. Gaignun shook his head as he looked out the window with his arms folded. "They might not be as ordinary as you think.''

"I doubt it. They seems normal enough to me, though that Shane girl is bipolar. You know, she threatened me down in the isolation area. But I guess it's possible, though. After all, Shion's involved in the highest classified part of that project… The same one Helmer's involved in…"

"The Zohar Project…" The dark haired look-alike said. Jr. looked at him then placed his hands behind his head. "Listen… Why don't we…lay off the Mizrahi talk for a while?"

Gaignun looked at him. "Hmm… Concerned about that MOMO girl?" The red-head growled then said, "Don't look at me like that. You think she likes being called the child of a madman? After all, we were both there when Mizrahi finally met his end. We saw what happened. You know that girl's a Realian. Her memory might be imprinted with something…" "So you're saying the image she holds of Mizrahi is a false one?" The dark haired man asked.

He shook his head, looking to the side. "I don't know. That's why I want you to lay off when you're around her. At least for now, anyway." Gaignun looked at him again. "If you're that concerned about her, why don't you invite her down to the beach? I'm sure it'll help take her mind off of things."

Jr.'s cheeks turned pink as he took his feet of the desk and folded his arms, looking away. "Man… I told you, it's not like that!" The red-head walked to the door as Gaignun picked up a small box set. ''Hey.'' He turned around, catching the box set. ''...What's this?'' He placed the box on the table and opened it, letting out a surprised gasp. ''Oh man, it's a stainless-steel finish Makarov! With the original box and everything!''

''I won it at a Lion's Heart auction. It was part of their antique weapons collecton,'' the dark haired man told him. Jr. looked at him with a questioning look. ''...This isn't like you. You're up to something.'' Gaignun chuckled to himself.

"Not at all. I just though I'd reward you for all the hard work you've done for us recently… Have I gone too far?"

He watched the red-head shake his head ''no''. ''Don't go shooting that thing all over the place. Remember, you're older than I am. Try to act like it once in a while, alright?'' He made his way to the door. As the door closed behind him, he turned to hear Jr. yell with excitement.

''Sweeeet!''

Gaignun sighed, shaking his head.

* * *

Shion sat in her room (in the Residential Area) alone as she looked out the window. She thought about Shane, her fast healing, and the changes to her body, hair and eyes. _Shane...just who are you, really?_ The sound of a doorbell brought her out of her thoughts as she looked back at the door. 

''It's open,'' she said as Allen walked into the room. ''Chief, we better get going soon.'' The brown haired woman nodded, looking down at the floor. ''Yeah...'' He tilted his head to get a better look at her face. ''What's wrong? Maybe its' just me, but...you've been acting gloomy ever since we boarded this ship,'' he said. She looked up at him. ''Hm? No, really, its' nothing...what, you really think I'm acting like that?''

''Yep, no doubt about it.''

''Hmm...''

Allen pointed at her. ''See? Just like that.'' Shion shook her head some. ''Oh, I just have a lot on my mind...I'm sure that's all it is,'' she reassured him. ''Are you sure? If something's bothering you, I'd be more than happy to listen...'' Jr. came running into the room with a smile on his face. ''Hey, Shion, let's go out and play!'' She looked up at the red-head.

''Hm?''

''I'll wait for you over at the shuttle launch, so hurry, okay? See ya there!'' He ran out of the room, leaving Shion and Allen to their own devices. Later, the two stood outside of the room. ''Well then, I'll be heading to the launch pad. So, Chief, make sure you come too!''

* * *

At the Dock, Shane leaned against the wall with her arms folded. She looked to see chaos walk in as he looked to her. ''Shane, your hair...and eyes..'' She turned red. ''Uh, I woke up like this!'' The girl told him with a blushing face. ''A-after I woke up from a bad dream...'' 

''A nightmare?'' chaos asked. ''Can you tell me what it was about?''

''...Well, I was running from a guy...but my hair was longer; not short, okay? A-and I was wearing a long white shirt. He found me and I tried to attack him and he said some...things.''

''What kind of things?'' MOMO asked her. Shane shook her head. ''I can't say,'' she replied.

_Because I don't want to fuck up the storyline even more with my presence here... _

''And also, I don't want to make you lose your innocent hearing, MOMO-chan.'' The pink haired girl blinked at Shane then looked down. ''Hey, sweetie...I said that because it was a really, REALLY bad dream, okay?'' She looked up at the girl's gold eyes and smiled softly.

''Okay, Shane. I understand.''

Shion walked over to the group with a small but sad smile on her face. ''You okay, Shion?'' She nodded at Shane and the others ''yes''. Jr. walked over to her.

"Shion, why do you look so down? Let's hurry and go to the beach! I'll show you around!" The group took the shuttle to the Kukai Foundation, and to the beach. There, the group walk into a beach house and changed into swimsuits. MOMO, chaos, Jr., and Allen have fun. Shane was laying under the same umbrella wearing a white one-piece swimsuit that showed most of her clevage, snoring softly. Shion sat next to the sleeping girl in a chair as she worked on something with her U.M.N.

She closed her eyes and thought back on the time she (with short hair) and an dark haired man worked on the prototype of KOS-MOS. He stood over her maintanance bed and chucked to himself. ''Shion..would you laugh at me if I told you that...I think she has a heart?'' He asked her. She looked back at him from the computer screen.

''KOS-MOS? Showing emotional behavior?''

''I've run across some interesting phenomena. It's still pretty weak, of course...almost like a tiny little pulse...''

''Really? We should definitely keep an eye on that,'' Shion told him. ''KOS-MOS' elemental data structure duplicates that of a human brain, so something like that's certainly not out of the question.'' Her memory ended as she looked at the U.M.N. ''She was empathizing with MOMO back there...I wonder what her subconscious waves were like...?'' Shion saw a a line go across the green screen and sighed. ''Flatline...oh, well...nothing here at all."

''What's the matter, Chief? You didn't come down to the beach just to stare at a screen all day, did you? And there's Shane who--'' Allen's face turned beet red once he caught a glance at Shane's swimsuit. ''Come on, Shion! Shane, wake up!'' MOMO said as she waved her arms at them. ''Why don't you come and play with us?'' The brown haired woman nodded some. ''Sorry, in a bit..'' The little girl walked over to her, looking at the U.M.N. in her hands.

''Are you working on KOS-MOS? It must be really tough,'' she said.

The brown haired man shook his head, snapping out of his trance and wiping the drool from his chin. ''She's got a lot of black box areas that even we can't analyze.'' Shane stirred from her sleep as she sat up slowly. MOMO looked up at him. ''Black box?'' she asked. He nodded. ''Yeah. We're painstaking analyzing her bit by bit so that we can recreate her original form again. The only person who knew everything about KOS-MOS was Kevin...''

''And who's he?'' Shane dusted the sand from her hair and yawned loudly. Allen shot a glare at the girl only to glance down at her clevage again, going into a trance. ''..Did I say something wrong? Shion?'' She watched Shion turn off the U.M.N. and looked to Shane. ''No, you didn't. I'll tell you later, okay?'' The silver haired girl nodded. ''Alright..''

''Say, Allen. Do you think Gaignun and Jr. are father and son? They look a little too far apart in age to be brothers.''

''I wouldn't say that, Shion. My siblings are, like, way older than me. Like 20-40 old.''

''Really?--Shane, stop getting off-topic, please.'' Shane meowed at her. Allen shook his head again then looked at Shion. ''I've heard rumors here and there. Some say Gaignun cloned himself, while others say Jr.'s his illegitimate son or...''

''I don't think he's a clone,'' MOMO said. ''Their genome arrays are a little too different for that...'' The brown haired woman looked at her with astonishment. ''Wow! You can actually see that, MOMO?'' The pink-haired girl blushed some. ''I'm an Observation Realian...they're more than just siblings, or father and son, but at the same time they're not identical, either...''

''Is that sort of thing possible? Their DNA only has to differ by 0.1 to make them different people, right?''

''Other than that...'' Shane spoke up.

''Hey, who's an illegitimate son?'' The group looked at Jr. as he walked over wearing a pair of white swim trunks. ''Uhh...man, this beach is really great! It doesn't feel artificial at all.'' Allen said. The silver haired girl shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. _Who the fuck are you trying to kid, baka? _''It's out latest product. You can even change the weather!'' He took out a remote from his pocket. ''You can't have blue skies all the time, right?'' He pressed the button as dark clouds appeared over the beach and thunder boomed overhead. Shane crawled out from under the umbrella and stood up with Shion.

''I hate...thunder,'' the brown haired woman whispered to herself. The silver haired girl tensed up as her hair spiked up some. ''...Damnit..''

''Shion? Shane?'' Jr. pressed another button, lightning flashing through the sky and thunder crashing loudly. The two girls yelped; Shion falling to a kneeling position and Shane covering her face. ''Stop it!! I hate thunder!'' The brown haired woman cried out, tensing up. ''I'm sorry...I just...really hate thunder..''

''Shion...'' chaos said, looking at her. Shion looked up at the silver haired girl who stood frozen. ''Shane...? Are you..you don't like thunder, either?''

''..My head...the rain...slick ground...I..'' She let her hands fall to her sides to reveal her eyes back to their default brown. ''I...'' She stumbled back, collapsing to the ground.

''Shane!''

Chapter Fourteen: End _(Oooh, Shane's afraid of thunder like Shion. What DID she mean by the rain, her head, and slick ground? I'm not telling you...READ ON AND FIND OUT!! Please R & R. )_


	15. Pain and Memory

**Chapter Fifteen: Pain and Memory**

_(A/N: I have a confession. Shane is based off of myself, kinda like Gunz and Destiny...I'm not sure. That's all I wanted to say. I don't own Xenosaga, but Namco does. Happy reading. )_

_I remember...rain...it was raining...and I was outside...there was a flash of lightning and..._

Shane's now golden eyes snapped open as she stared at the ceiling of the beach house. She sat up slowly, holding her head gently. ''Mmph. Did I pass out?'' She glanced over to see chaos sitting beside her. ''...Hey.'' ''I'm glad you're awake, Shane,'' he told her. I got kind of worried when we saw you faint.'' She narrowed her eyes at him.

''...Oh really, chi boy?''

''Really.'' He held up his hands in an protective manner. ''But you were talking in your sleep, though...'' She looked at him as she ran her hands through her hair. ''Pari?''He nodded at her response. ''You said something about...walking through the rain when I wasn't supposed to...what did you mean by that?'' Shane looked down at the floor then looked up to the horizon outside.

''...It was just a dream and nothing more.''

* * *

''Representative Helmer, busy as always, I see.'' Gaignun said as he sat in his office. On the computer screen in front of him was a black man with a bald head. He smiled at the dark-haired man.

''Well, hello, Nigredo. How are things going?''

His face turned into a look of disgust. ''Hmph,'' he said. ''I don't really care for that name.'' ''My apologies. I'm still not accustomed to calling you 'Gaignun','' Helmer told him. The dark-haired man leaned back some in his chair. ''We're currently headed your way and we're carrying an unusual package, so I thought it best to inform you.''

''Oh..?'' A look of surprise came onto the representative's face. ''We secured it from an unexpected source...the Federation cruiser Woglinde. It's an Emulator.'' ''The twelfth one...that matches the U-TIC records,'' he said.

''Right. There's no question that it's responsible for the planetary disappearance. Assuming they haven't constructed any more, that's all of them. Aside from the Original, of course.''

''That's clearly impossible,'' Helmer answered. ''Now that the only man who can create them is no longer alive.'' Gaignun nodded. ''True enough...and one more thing. We have the Contact Subcommittee's 100-Series prototype.''

''How did that wind up in your hands?'' The black man asked him. The dark haired man chuckled to himself. ''One of our passenger freighters rescued her 76 hours ago.''

''Is the ability to attract that sort of coincidence another one of your special powers?''

''Not a coincidence, but a probability...as a certain acquaintance might say. Anyway, I'm concerned with what the U-TIC Organization is up to. You may want to step up your precautions."

''I'll see what I can sniff out from the U.M.N. administration bureau. We can locate any large-scale gate jumps from there,'' Helmer said. ''Excellent idea. Assuming they have no Emulators in their possession, the odds are that they'll go after the Original sealed on Old Militia. Not to mention...'' Gaignun narrowed his eyes.

''U-DO...''

''I don't know what their ultimate goal is, but we can't allow that thing to reawaken again. No matter what.'' ''Understood,'' Helmer said. ''We'll prepare for your arrival. I'm looking forward to seeing you again.''

* * *

Back at the beach, the group changed back into her clothes. Shion stepped out of the changing room as she straightened her hair. Allen walked over to her. ''Well, I'm going to go back to the Elsa to check on KOS-MOS,'' he told her. ''Are you sure you'll be alright? Chief...'' She nodded. ''Yeah...sorry for losing it earlier,'' she said. ''I don't...have very good memories of thunder..''

''Chief...''

''I'm sure the same goes for Shane, too. I'm a little tired, so maybe I'll rest at a hotel in City Sector 27. I'll go to the Elsa after I get a little rest. Please take care of KOS-MOS until then.'' Allen nodded. ''Alright. Um, Chief? Please don't push yourself too hard.''

''Yes, I know.''

Shane walked out of the changing room as she saw Shion and Allen walk off. She moved her hair out of her face and walked to the bench. ''Man. I feel sick after I collapsed in front of everyone,'' she said aloud. ''But that flash of lightning...'' She stopped abruptly as her vision turned hazy. She fell to her knees, holding her head.

_Kirshwasser..._

_No...I'm not...!_

_Bring me my..._

_...No.._

_Bring me my ma peche!_

''_NO!_'' Shane looked up from her kneeling position as MOMO looked at the young woman with a confused look. ''Shane, are you okay? Your heartbeat's erratic..'' The silver haired girl stood up, dusting her pants off. ''Yeah, I'm alright. Just a rush of adrenaline for being here.''

''You've never been here before?''

Shane shook her head. ''Nope. Been on Fifth Jerusalem too long,'' she told her. The pink haired girl nodded. ''So, MOMO...you wanna take a walk with me and talk or something?''

''Okay!''

* * *

At Pleroma, Commander Margulis spoke to a man who wore shades by communication monitor. ''Current output is 5.806 LPP. Not even 3 of the required levels,'' he said. ''In other words, you're saying it's impossible to open the door to Lost Jerusalem...''

''Open the door?'' the man said. ''It's doubtful whether we can even find it. I've told you repeatedly that the Emulators were mere suppleents. You're the one who ignored that. Because of you, we've lost a valuable asset. I've done what I can with what we have, but it's not going to make much difference. Even Mizrahi couldn't pull this off without the Original.''

''So, have you finally come to acknowledge that lunatic's work?'' Margulis asked. ''I'm just being objective. Noone in the universe is as knowledgeable in this field as he was.'' ''We can't keep our commander waiting any longer. We'll proceed with Plan 401.''

''Plan 401,'' the man echoed. ''That seems a bit extreme to me. The 100-Series that Helmer's protégé is babysitting…not only does it contain the entire record of Mizrahi's research, but the access code for the U.M.N. transfer column to the sealed area of Old Miltia, also resides in it. Treating it too roughly, and you'll lose everything." The burgandy haired man nodded some. ''I'm well aware of the importance of Miltia and the Y Data. That's why I'm using him,'' he said. Behind the man's sunglasses, his eyes narrowed.

''I do not like him. His eyes share the same look as Mizrahi's.''

''The same as yours?''

The man shook his head. ''Well, I'll be waiting for the good news.'' That said, he broke contact with Margulis. The burgandy haired man turned his head to look at Pellegri. "Pellegri. Secure a channel to our commander. I want to report this and discuss our plans for manipulating the committee."

"I see. So, what do you want me to do?'' a male voice asked over a intercom.

"The situation is proceeding as planned. Don't interfere with it for now. Of course, I can't imagine the Second Miltian government and the Kukai Foundation will simply hand it over. If the situation warrants, we may have to use… …the song of Nephilim,'' the burgandy haired man said with a grimace. The voice over the intercom chuckled. "Now this is a surprise. I thought you hated it with a passion."

"I'm just saying, even your toys have their uses."

"Then why don't you join me? We can enjoy the show together." Margulis shook his head slowly. ''Thanks, I'll pass,'' he told him. "I don't share your perverse taste in hobbies."

Over the intercom, the voice laughed loudly. "Yeah right, you gutless bastard,'' the voice said and broke the connection. "Albedo…a U.R.T.V. A monster born of Life Recycling. There are plenty of mentally unstable Life Recycling Variants out there… Just as Cherenkov was one of them. If he starts getting impatient and moves on his own,'' Pellegri said.

"You needn't worry about that. Time means nothing to him. The only thing that interests him is that Realian...and that girl."

"Are you really…going to use the Song of Nephilim?"

"Pellegri." Margulis turned to her. "Have you ever heard it? That song…draws everything unto madness…"

* * *

MOMO and Shane walked down the stairs of the park area in the Durandal as they talked. ''So, this game you've played..._Dance Dance Revolution_...'' ''Oh, it's fricking fun, MOMO,'' the silver haired girl told her. ''All you gotta do is follow the arrows on the screen while stepping on the pad and you'll get points. And they play the most up-to-date music, too.''

''Really? It must be amazing since you know so much about it.''

''Meh, I played with friends back at home,'' Shane said. ''Hey, MOMO!'' The girls stopped and turned to see Jr. running over to them. ''Oh look, the child prodigy himself.'' ''Aw, shut up and go back into a coma.'' The pink haired girl looked at them then sighed. ''Yes, what is it, Jr.?''

''We'll be going our separate ways once we get to Second Miltia, right?''

''Yes...'' She answered softly.

''I don't know if Realians believe in carrying charms or not, but...'' The red-head took out a bullet, showing it to MOMO. ''Here, take this. It's for luck.''

''It's so pretty! What is it?'' He grinned. ''It's a bullet from a looong time ago,'' he said. ''Look, it's got a good luck phrase on it: ''Sayonara, baby!'' ''

''Thank you! I'll keep it safe!''

''Ah, wait, hold on a sec,'' he told her as he took out a bracelet from his pocket. He took the bullet in his hand along with the bracelet, putting his hands together. Shane and MOMO watched as a light emitted from his hand, forming a bracelet with a good luck charm bullet. ''There we go. Try it on.'' Jr. gave the bracelet to the pink-haired girl, putting it around her wrist.

''Wow!'' she said with a surprised but excited voice. ''You can do things like that, too? That's wonderful!''

''It kinda tires me out a bit, though...''

A small snicker of amusement came from Shane as the two looked at her. ''Shane? Is something the matter?'' She shook her head slowly. ''Nothing...it's cute, Jr.''

''..The hell are you talking about?'' He asked as red started to come to his cheeks.

''Your gift to MOMO...'' Shane grinned again, turning around and walking away. ''Shane, what are you--?''

''Jr. and MOMO sittin' in a tree...K-I-S-S-I-N-G...'' Jr.'s face turned completely red. ''W-wha?! Shane, shut up!!'' The silver haired girl turned her head to see him running after her with a gun in hand. She broke into a sprint, running away from him.

''Ack! What are you gonna do, Kukai Jr.?!''

''Nothing!'' He yelled.

''Then why are you chasing me?!'' She yelled back.

''Stop runnin' and I'll let you know!'' MOMO watched the two run in circles around, sighing some. ''Shane's just like a child...''

Chapter Fifteen: End._ (..Nothing much to say. R&R, as always.)_


	16. Guns Are For

**Chapter Sixteen: Guns Are For...**

Outside the Foundation in outer space, Federation ships gate out and the entire area became full with them. On the bridge of the Durandal, Mary watched from the large screen. ''What a strange welcome,'' she said. ''Are they escortin' us in this time?'' Shelley turned to look at her blonde haired counterpart. ''They're blocking the way?! This is no welcome!'' One of the Federation ships fired photon beams at the Durandal. The entire area of the ship blacked out for a moment then turned back on.

''Confirmed Photon Torpedo detonation in immediate vicinity. We're being surrounded by a fleet of Federation vessels.

* * *

Shane fell against the wall, groaning as MOMO and Jr. fell to their knees. ''Aw, geez, what now?!'' The silver haired girl asked aloud in anger. ''The lights dimmed...'' The red-head helped the Realian up. ''Come on,'' he said. ''We better get to the bridge.'' The three ran to the bridge as the rest of the group were already there.

''Shion!'' The brown haired woman turned to Shane's voice. ''Shane...'' She turned her head as the group listened to the Federation on the large screen. ''What's going on?'' The silver haired girl asked. Shion shook her head. ''I don't know,'' she said. ''We were hit with Photon Torpedoes a few minutes ago.''

So that's why the lights dimmed...

"In accordance with Federation law, we hereby place the Kukai Foundation under arrest for the suspicion of violating Article 798, Chapter 37: Collection and Concealment of Defense Information, and Article 2153, Chapter 105, Acts of Aggression against Federation Vessels, and hereby revoke all rights previous granted. Shut down your engines and relinquish your weapons,'' a male voice said.

" "Acts of Aggression against Federation Vessels"?!" Jr. yelled. The male voice continued. "Furthermore, should the Miltian government allow the Kukai Foundation to dock the Durandal, we will issue a state of emergency notice under Article 2384, Chapter 115, Part 18…"

"W-what in the world is going on?" Allen asked in an panicked voice. "It looks like they think the Durandal conspired with the Miltian government in an attack on the Federation fleet,'' chaos told him.

"Huh? What Federation fleet?"

"Hey! Check out the network news on the sub-monitor. You're not gonna believe this!" Mary cried out as she brought up a monitor. On the network news, it showed when the Durandal attacked the U-TIC Battleship but something was a bit off.

''Hey...'' Shane said as she pointed at the screen.

"On the morning of the 21st, it appears that the 177th Marine Division flagship Woglinde, of the Galaxy Federation's Tessodora division, came under attack by a heavily armed ship belonging to the Kukai Foundation,'' a female's voice, obviously the news reporter, said. Shion's eyes went wide. "The Woglinde?! What?! I thought the Gnosis attack had been reported already…?!'' The woman continued. "The company has been identified as operating in conjunction with the Second Miltian government. And considerations for the possibility of treason have forced the Federation Parliament to dispatch a fleet…"

Shane folded her arms with a look of anger on her face. ''Dude, what the hell is this?!'' chaos looked at the silver haired girl then at the monitor. "They did a good job doctoring that video. But how did they synchronize the battle coordinates as well?''

Jr. slammed his hands on the console. "Damn! That's from when we fought the U-TIC Organization! Those bastards were recording it!"

"I see. That would explain how the absolute coordinates match. I guess that's their indisputable proof. Even I'm starting to think that we did it,'' Gaignun said. "Considering the situation, you don't sound very worried."

"In any event, this is confirmation that the remnants of the U-TIC Organization have infiltrated both the Federation government and the military,'' Shelley said. "Which means…their next target is…" Shion gripped her fists tightly. ''This is such a blatant lie, it's ludicrous,'' she said. "As survivors if we testify…"

"They'll just claim that you survived because you were in on the conspiracy."

"This is insane…" Allen held his head, panicking more. "Do you think this is why Headquarters hasn't communicated with us…?!"

''H-hang on, what about me?'' Shane asked as the group turned to her. She felt a tightening in her chest, clutching her shirt tightly. ''I mean...I wasn't there when the Woglinde was attacked...'' chaos walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. ''It'll be okay, Shane. Don't worry.'' She looked back at the monitor as it showed the Durandal destroying the ''Woglinde''. Outside, a group of Federation ships surrounded the Kukai Foundation.

* * *

Back on the bridge, a female captain and her soliders appeared from the elevator. The soldiers walked and pointed guns at everyone as the female captain stepped forward. ''I am Captain Lapis Roman of the Galaxy Federation's Special Ops Command Headquarters Intelligence Bureau. I hereby place this ship under custody of the Galaxy Federation,'' she told everyone. The soldiers pointed guns at everyone, making them put their hands up to their heads as one handcuffed Ziggy's hands to his back. Captain Lapis turned to Shion and Allen. ''I understand you're from the Woglinde. I'll take you in as witnesses. All Vector property will be temporarily confiscated as evidence.''

''KOS-MOS...'' Shion murmured.

A soldier grabbed MOMO's right arm, saying, ''Here's the 100-Series Realian under warrant!'' He pulled her arm and made her move with him as she whimpered. ''Hey, don't hurt her!'' The soldier holding Jr. tried to restrain him but the red-head managed to free himself. The soldier struck him with the butt of his rifle as he fell to the floor. The other soldier aimed his gun at the Jr.'s head, the boy stopping himself.

''Oi, don't make things worse for us!''

''Be quiet, girl!'' A soldier said to Shane. He moved back when she shot an death glare at him. ''Detain them in a single room, and watch them carefully,'' Captain Lapis ordered. ''All of them?'' The soldier asked. She nodded. ''Splitting them up will only serve to underman our guardposts. Investigate as much of the ship as possible before we rendezvous with the others.''

''Yes, ma'am.'' The soldiers took the group into custody, as the female captain walked over to Gaignun. "Gaignun Kukai, you are hereby under arrest for suspicion of treason against the Galaxy Federation. Come with me,'' she told him.

"As you wish."

* * *

The group sat in a room after being placed on house arrest. Shion sat with MOMO; Jr sat a table with Allen and chaos; Ziggy stood near the wall and Shane was pacing the floor with her thumb in her mouth, nibbling on it. "It's all orchestrated too well,'' the blonde cyborg said. The silver haired girl and Shion looked up at his response. ''Huh?'' "The fleet deployment came too quickly. They must have been prepaered to ensure that MOMO would return to them regardless of what happened...or perhaps ensnaring Second Miltia was part of their plan from the very beginning.''

''As a neutral territory, Second Miltia was invested with a whole bunch of rights and legal privileges after the Miltian Conflict. There are a whole lot of folks who still have problems with that, even outside of the U-TIC Organization,'' Jr. said as he folded his arms. "The asteroid where MOMO was imprisoned…I wondered where the information about that place came from…now it seems like it was all part of the plan from the very beginning." Shane looked at Ziggy then to MOMO.

"Do you mean…from when Mommy sent you to rescue me?"

"You don't think there are U-TIC members within the Subcommittee itself…?"

Allen shook his head. "It's not inconceivable. Perhaps it was the very person who arranged for MOMO's rescue, Dr. Juli Mizrahi herself…" The pink haired girl looked at him with a worried and scared look on her face. "No! Mommy would never do something like that!" She exclaimed.

"Allen!"

"I…uh…sorry…" Shane walked over to the brown haired man and smacked him across the head. ''Don't put your feet in your mouth, _baka_! Or you'll never get her that way!''

''...Shane, it's bad to talk to yourself outloud, you know.'' She glared at Jr., mimicking him as she sat down on the floor. ''And it's bad for you to have weapons around a minor.'' She told him, pointing at MOMO. ''Hey! They're for protection, bipolar girl!''

''...'' She stood up, grinning at him. ''So which gun is for shooting and which gun is for fun?'' The entire room went silent as Jr.'s face was red. Shane folded her arms, looking at him. MOMO looked up at Shion.

''What did Shane mean by that?''

Chapter Sixteen: End _(Short chapter, huh? R&R, as always. )_


	17. Blamed

**Chapter Seventeen: Blamed**

Shane tapped her finger on the table, sitting near MOMO and Shion as she glanced around the room. She was growing anxious--a thing she had a bad habit for--rubbing her now sweaty hands against her pants in an effort to calm down. ''_Kuso..._'' Shion looked at the girl and noticed she was shaking some.

''Shane?'' The group looked to the door of the room to see Captain Lapis Roman and a soldier walk inside. ''The preliminary inquiry shall now begin,'' she told them. The dark haired woman walked over to the table, sitting down beside Shane who moved over some to give her some room.

''I am an agent working for Representative Helmer of the Second Miltian Parliament.''

Shion gasped, covering her mouth. She glanced at one of the soldiers near the door. Captain Lapis held up her hand. ''Don't worry,'' she said. ''He's also with us. We can go into detail later, but for now I'll just debrief you on the current situation. You are presently under the custody of the Federation government and the military. I'll be honest with you. The way things are now, within a few hours, she'll be turned over to anti-Miltian forces, specifically the U-TIC Organization. Soon after, the Second Miltian government will be stripped of all its authority. At this moment, Representative Helmer is working with the leaders of the Miltian Parliament to buy us additional time. However, our opponents' skillful manipulation requires us to find concrete proof of your innocence."

"But…how?" Shion asked.

''That's the question. We need something that would give conclusive evidence of your innocence.'' Shane looked at the brown haired woman who in turn looked at the table. "Conclusive…evidence…''

* * *

The silver haired girl looked at the female captain. ''By evidence...you need another video other than that screwed up video that's on the news right now?'' ''Correct,'' she answered. Shane looked to Shion who had looked up at Lapis.

''What about the Woglinde's black box?''

''We've already recovered that,'' Captain Lapis told her. ''Unfortunately, sometime after the final gate-out, it was modified to be exactly the same as the video recording, down to the time axis.'' Jr. rubbed the back of his head, lifting his hand in an awkward fashion. ''Not to mention, I shot up the database on that U-TIC battleship...''

''What about the Durandal's database? A record of the battle against the U-TIC should still be there. Can't we use that to prove our innocence?'' chaos asked. ''Is that a standard database?''

''Yeah,'' the red-head answered. ''Is that a problem?'' The female captain nodded. ''Yes...standard databases are too easily modified. I'm not certain how relaible they would be as evidence. If we had something that even the owner couldn't change, say, a system with a AAA class encryption, then maybe...''

Jr. stood up fast, looking at her. ''Wha..? Triple A?! You don't find systems with that kind of protection just lying around! For something like that, you'd need the Federation government's motherframe, or the U.M.N. operating system!'' Shion stood up slowly. ''We...''

''What?''

''We have one!'' She cried out. Allen looked at her then gasped. ''Oh!''

''KOS-MOS?!'' Jr. exclaimed. The brown-haired woman nodded. ''Yes,'' she told everyone. ''KOS-MOS' database has a recording of the battle against the Gnosis onboard the Woglinde. If we enter that as evidence...'' ''Yeah, but in order to copy the record, we need the keys from both the Federation government and Headquarters,'' Allen said.

''By diving into the Encephalon and experiencing the record ourselves, we can make a copy through the Connection Gear.''

''B-but that's impossible without the dive equipment.''

''How about the Service Module's Simple Dive Unit?'' Shion asked him. ''You've got to be kidding! Besides, that's a violation of protocol!''

''We don't have any other choice, do we? Oh, I'm so sick and tired of protocol.''

''But...'' She folded her arms, looking down at the floor. ''The real question is, how do we get to KOS-MOS?'' Captain Lapis stood up from her seat as she activated the U.M.N., releasing the handcuffs from Ziggy's hands. She handed the U.M.N. to Shane who looked at her. ''Dude, wha?'' ''That'll open any locked doors you come across,'' she said. ''I'll just say we were careless. But to make it look legitimate, you'll need to knock me out.''

''You sure?'' Ziggy asked her. She nodded. ''Otherwise noone would believe it, right?'' The blonde cyborg looked to everyone then back at Captain Lapis. ''You have a point..''

''Go easy on me, okay...?'' MOMO grabbed Shane's arm, leaning her face in her jacket sleeve. The older girl placed her head on the pink-haired girl's head as she comforted her. Ziggy punched the female captain and knocked her out. He walked over to the other soldier, gripping his fist tightly. ''Forgive me,'' he said and knocked out the soldier. Jr. walked over to the unconcious Captain Lapis with a small smile on his face. ''Thanks! You're pretty cool.'' The group walked out of the room, making sure that they weren't seen or heard while occassionally knocking out some soldiers who saw them. They made their way to a second room where their equipment was placed after being arrested.

Shane watched the group equip their items and weapons as she looked down at the floor. Shion turned to everyone. ''There's no time to lose. We have to hurry to the maintenance lab.''

''...Oi, Shion?'' The woman looked to the silver haired girl. ''Is something the matter, Shane?'' The girl nodded slowly. ''I don't have any weapons...I don't see how much help I would be if I came with you...'' She walked over to her and handed her the U.M.N. Lapis gave her. ''You take it and go on ahead.'' MOMO looked at Shane with a saddened look in her eyes. Shane looked at her then smiled some. ''It's okay, MOMO.''

Shion placed her hands around the U.M.N. and the silver haired girl's hand. ''You're coming with us,'' she said. ''W-wha?'' Jr. walked over to her. ''You've been with us this long, Shane. So it's time to show us what you're made of!'' She looked at him then at everyone else. She bit her lip, looking down as her hand shook some.

''You guys...'' She looked up at everyone and wiped away a few tears that came to her eyes. ''Okay! I'll do it!''

Chapter Seventeen: End._ (...Brings tears to your eyes, doesn't it? R & R, as always!)_


	18. Encephalon Drive, part one

**Chapter Eighteen: Encephalon Drive, part one**

_(A/N: Wow, Chapter 18. I'm really sorry if the storyline sounds or seems fcked up and I change how the perspective is done, but I like how it's coming along regardless. Happy Reading.)_

In the maintenance room onboard the Elsa, the group stood in the room as Shion grabbed a pair of red goggles. She straightened them and looked to Allen who sat at a console. ''Here we go,'' she said. ''Allen, handle backup for me, alright?'' The brown haired man nodded slowly. ''...Roger. Opening Interconnection.'' He typed quickly as he groaned to himself. ''Ahh...get a grip,'' he said to himself. He looked up at Shion. ''Don't worry. I'll back you up no matter what happens.''

The woman placed the goggles over her glasses and eyes. ''Thanks. Ready, KOS-MOS?'' She looked at the blue-haired android who laid on the maintenance bed. Everyone felt a sudden change in the room, like riding on a roller coaster and going down a large hill as they watched the entire area being sucked in.

''What the...?'' Jr. said. Everyone yelled out as they were sucked into the Encephalon.

* * *

_(A/N: Everyone reading this. You KNOW this part in the game so you know what to expect. WARNING: Encephalon Dives cause madness, bad memory recollection, and seizures. Shion's perspective #1)_

In one area, Shion looked up to see a large skyscraper. ''N-no...'' she whispered. A loud thunderclap shook the woman who in turn screamed, covering her ears. The sounds dissapated as she looked up from the ground to see she was in another area in a playground.

''This is...?'' She looked at a swingset to see a little girl with long brown hair and wore a white dress. It was Shion when she was a child. The little girl looked to see a man with dark brown hair walk over to her and jumped off the swing.

''Daddy!'' she yelled. Shion's eyes widened as she looked at herself as a kid approaching her father. ''Daddy?!'' A warm smile came onto his face, kneeling down to the little girl's level. ''Alright, Shion...let's go home,'' he told her.

''We're not...going to see Mom?'' She asked. Her father shook his head slowly. ''No...not today...we'll visit her tomorrow, okay?'' She looked down at the ground. ''...Okay.'' He stood up and took her small hand in his, walking away. ''Wait...'' The older Shion reached for them. ''Don't go...''

''You cannot go...'' She heard the soft voice of a girl, turning around to see the little girl from before and her dreams. The girl sat on the swing, looking at Shion. ''That's right,'' she said. ''This was the last day you spent together with your father. I've waiting a long time for you...'' She stood up from the swing. ''We have much to talk about.''

* * *

(Shane's perspective #1) 

_Oooh...my head's killin' me..._

Shane opened her eyes slowly to find herself sitting in the waiting room of a hospital. She looked around to see people walking down the hall of the white corridors, doctors speaking with nurses or other people in the waiting room. She stood up slowly as her hand moved to her temple. A low ringing noise echoed in her ears.

''W-what the hell?'' The silver-haired girl saw two familiar faces sitting next to each other and by a lamp at the north end of the waiting room. She gasped, her hands falling to her sides. ''...Momma? Dad?'' Her mother sat in the chair, a couple of tissues in her hands as her father rubbed her back gently. ''Everything'll be okay, dear,'' he said in a concerned voice. ''She'll be okay.'' Shane walked over to them then stopped to see her older sisters, brothers, aunts, cousins, and grandmothers sitting around the couple. ''Why's everyone here? Did...?'' She stepped back then ran into the corridor, the ringing in her ears getting louder. Shane turned a corner to see a white haired little boy who wore a hospital gown stood in the middle of the corridor, his big blue-green eyes watching her.

''Who...?'' He looked at her, holding a black teddy bear close to his chest as he turned around. The boy lifted his hand, pointing down the seemingly long corridor to the last door. ''In there,'' he said in a quiet voice. ''She's in there.'' She stepped forward and gasped when the boy vanished in front of her. ''..Okay...I'm still in the Encephalon...it corresponds with our memories or places we've been...but...'' She looked at the door.

''I've never been here before...''

* * *

(Jr.'s perspective #1) 

Jr., Ziggy, and MOMO stood in the area of a ruined city. Cars were overturned, fires burning all around them. Above, helicopters circled the city, lights shining down on the roadway. The red head looked to his side to see a group of boys his age walk past them with rifles in hand. ''No way...it can't be...'' MOMO looked at him. ''Jr.?''

''No doubt about it. They're U.R.T.V.,'' he said aloud. Ziggy looked at the boy. ''...I see. It would appear that is more than just a hallucination. What is this place? Do you recognize it?'' The red head didn't answer. He only looked down at the ground, gripping his fists tightly.

''Jr. ...''

''What?!!'' He shouted, making MOMO jump from hearing him yell. The blonde cyborg looked at him. ''I'm asking you if you recognize this place,'' he said. Jr. nodded, calming down some. ''Yeah, I do. If this isn't an illusion, and my memory's correct, this is...Miltia from fourteen years ago.'' After saying that, he ran off. ''Where are you going?'' Ziggy called out to him. ''I wonder what's troubling him? It looks as though he's trying to chase after those people…"

"I'm sure he has his reasons. Nonetheless, we don't know what's going on and we can't let him go off alone."

* * *

(Shion's -short- perspective #2) 

''You've been waiting...? For us?''

Shion stood in the playground with the little girl, looking at her. Behind her, chaos and Allen appeared but she didn't even noticed. ''Chief?'' The brown haired man asked. ''Where are we?'' The little girl placed her hand on Shion's hand.

''Who are you?'' She asked.

''I am...Nephilim. That's what I have been called. Ever since I existed in this form...''

* * *

(Jr.'s perspective #2) 

Back in the Miltia area, Jr.'s group saw gunfire everywhere by the U.R.T.V. The young children shot and killed citizens who were running away then turned on one another. Jr. watched the horrible scene, gripping his shaking fists tightly. ''Every single one of them's infected...'' His eyes watched when he saw a dark haired boy with familiar green eyes, shooting and killing the last remaining U.R.T.V. ''Rubedo!'' the boy yelled in a worried voice. ''Where are you?! Rubedo!''

''Gaignun...?!'' The red-head cried out. The area shimmered as the area of a factory where Jr. saw the younger version of Gaignun walked badly, holding his arm. Then, out of nowhere, a white haired U.R.T.V. appeared and attacked him ruthlessly. But just as the white haired boy was about to finish Gaignun off...

_''Gaignun!!''_

Jr. ran over to him, everything around him turned into slow motion. He stopped running as he realized where he was. The Encephalon. He looked down at the ground, his shoulders shaking. MOMO ran over to him, Ziggy following behind her.

''Are you alright?'' she asked.

''I-I'm fine...''

''Jr.?'' He turned to her, blue eyes filled with anger. ''I said I'm fine!!'' He yelled. MOMO gasped and stepped away from him. He held his head, looking to his side. ''S…Sorry… I didn't mean to…" A small growl came softly from the back of his throat. "Damn it…what the hell is this? What's going on here?"

* * *

(Shane's perspective #2) 

Shane gripped her fists tightly as she walked down the long, white corridor. Her black boots echoed from stepping on the shined floors; her black overcoat flowing behind her as she picked up speed. A cold yet warm chill went down her back. With a shaking hand, she wiped a bead of sweat from her chin.

_There's something here..._

Her boots hit the floor, echoing loudly.

_I know...something's here that I'm not supposed to know about...!_

Shane stopped and slammed her hands against the door. She gritted her teeth, the ringing in her ears getting louder. She breathed heavily as she caught her breath from running. She looked down at the floor. A trickle of sweat went down the side of her face. ''Whatever's in here,'' she said to herself, ''I won't like it...'' The silver haired girl straightened up and opened the door slowly.

* * *

(Shion's perspective #2) 

Back in the playground area, Shion sat on the swingset with Nephilim looking down at her feet. ''So, you're saying this really is Milita?'' The girl nodded. ''Yes. A world of unbroken memories slumber at the depths of your consciousness...KOS-MOS has sensed this and recreated it. This world...it is also KOS-MOS' memory as well.''

''KOS-MOS' memory...?'' Shion echoed. ''No, that's not...''

''Memories do not belong solely to one person. And they are not fixed to just one location,'' Nephilim said. "No, I mean… It's…the original KOS-MOS was…" The brown haired woman looked down as she remembered back to two years ago when she held a weapon at KOS-MOS' prototype form. She shot the android's head, destroying it along with the rest of the body. Shion's grip tightened on the chain as she remembered her fiance was killed by KOS-MOS by impaling his torso with her right hand.

''…Destroyed, during that incident, two years ago…and you lost someone dear to you as well…'' The brown haired woman looked at Nephilim. "Joyful memories form only one half of a whole,'' she said. ''Only when they are combined together with the other half, can your consciousness truly take form. You must…no… All of you must accept the entirety of your memories."

''Accept…our memories…" Shion closed her eyes, remembering when her father had died when she was sleeping. She opened her eyes and stood up from the swing. "You must…return to Miltia once again,'' Nephilim said. The brown haired woman looked back at the little girl. "Please…tell me. Why must I go to Miltia?''

"Only KOS-MOS knows the answer to that question… She is waiting for you there." Shion looked out to the distance where the sun was setting behind some buildings. "KOS-MOS is…out there…?'' She said softly as she began to walk away. Allen walked after her. ''Hey…wait up! Chief!"

Nephilim turned to look up at chaos. "Are you sure this is what you want? There is no turning back,'' she told him. The white haired boy nodded slowly. "I know…but… Shion…is vital to her."

"And to you as well? What will you do?"

* * *

(Jr.'s perspective #3) 

Back in the Miltia area, Jr.'s group walked down a darkened road as the red-head looked up at a building, narrowing his eyes. ''Man...you've gotta be kidding,'' he said. MOMO looked at him. ''What's wrong?''She looked up at the building to see it was a large skyscraper. ''The U-TIC Organization's central tower...Labyrinthos,'' the red head told her.

"Labyrinthos…?'' The group looked up to hear a man's voice. "Hallelujah! "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it…" "…and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them…" "…and they were judged every man according to their works!" ''

MOMO's eyes widened. ''That voice…that's… That's Daddy…! Daddy!!" She exclaimed. ''What?!" Ziggy saw the little girl starting to get a head-start as he grabbed her arm before she could get away.

"MOMO! Stop! Where are you going?!" He asked in a concerned voice.

"Let me go! Daddy… Daddy's calling for me!" The blonde cyborg's blue eyes widened as his grip loosened on the little girl's arm. " "Daddy"?! Is that really him…?!'' Jr. nodded as he watched the skyscraper. "That's Joachim Mizrahi…without a doubt."

"So that's…Joachim Mizrahi..."

The man now known as Joachim Mizrahi continued his crazed speech. '' "And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life…" "…was cast into the lake of fire!" "Rejoice, all ya! The time for feasting has come!" '' A blast of flames erupted behind him as he was burned and fell from the skyscraper. MOMO's golden eyes widened as she screamed.

_"Noooooooooooo!!"_

She ran over to where he was falling and tried to catch him. Her father fell through her small hands, disappearing. Her hands shook as she felt a warm stream of tears trickling down her cheeks. "Da…ddy… Daddyyyy!!"

"MOMO…" Jr. said softly. Ziggy looked at MOMO then at the skyscraper. ''All this before me… Is this really Miltia form fourteen years ago…?" Suddenly, the area around them disappeared as the group fell into another area. Their world turned white.

* * *

(Shane's perspective #3) 

In the hospital area, Shane had opened the door to the room and walked inside. She gasped at the sight, gold eyes widening.

''There's no...fucking way...''

She saw herself--her normal self with black hair--laying in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask on her face. Her chest moved up and down slowly, her forhead wrapped in bandages. She glanced around the room to see flowers and balloons near a table by the window. ''This isn't right...what the hell's going on?!'' She held her head, looking down at the floor.

''You're lookin' for answers, aren't you?''

The silver haired girl looked up at the bed. She gasped to see a double of herself sitting beside the bed with shoulder length red hair, white bangs, and blackened tips. She wore a red overcoat with a gray vest connected to a long-sleeved black shirt. A pair of black capris and black knee-high boots completed the outfit. The same outfit as Shane's. The double looked to her and smiled, her blue-green eyes shining brightly at her.

''Hello, Shane. I'm sure you're wondering who I am.'' The red-haired girl stood up, stretching. ''...Just who the hell are you?!'' She chuckled softly. ''I'm you, and yet I'm not you,'' she said. ''You can call me...'Rukia'.''

''Rukia...that means either ''light'' or ''scarlet'','' Shane said softly. Rukia folded her arms, looking at her silver-haired counterpart.

''It means ''light'', silly. I'm here to tell you some things you should know about yourself...and the destiny you now hold with the others here in the Encephalon.''

The two of them looked at the dark haired girl sleeping. ''...The destiny I hold?'' She narrowed her gold eyes then looked at Rukia. ''Why am I...why am I in the hospital? I don't recall this!'' The red-haired girl looked at Shane. ''You're here...because in your world, you're in a coma. Remember the storm after you beat _Xenosaga Episode I_?''

She gasped. ''The storm...?''

Rukia nodded. ''Yes, the storm. You, being the stubborn one, decided to go out into the rain to see if your dogs were okay. They were--thank god--so you decided to walk in the rain. You climbed the hill only to find it slippery from the rain...''

''...I slipped and fell..and...''

''Fell unconcious after hitting your head on a rock,'' The red-haired girl finished. Shane grabbed hold of the bed railing at the foot of the bed, a look of confusion on her face. ''I'm...I'm in a coma?'' she asked slowly and calmly. Rukia nodded as she popped her neck, groaning. ''Yup. And what's worse, you woke me up before I should've. But your life's my priority right now.''

''...Tell me about my destiny with Shion and the others. What is it...that I have to do?''

Chapter Eighteen: End _(o.o So that's what happened to Shane and her fear of thunder and rain...but the question remains. Who's Rukia and why does she look like Shane? Also, I might be wrong about the translation... R & R to read on and find out!)_


	19. Encephalon Drive, part two

**Chapter Nineteen: Encephalon Drive, part two**

''Your destiny with those guys...is as complicated as the storyline,'' Rukia told Shane looking out the window. ''Technically, with your knowledge of the series, you're pretty much a powerful entity. Maybe more powerful than the Gnosis...'' Shane looked at her dark-haired self, laying in bed as she listened to the red-haired double.

''But other than that, you're stil human.''

''And I regenerate faster than the rest of them? Is that because of ''me'' sleeping?!'' Shane yelled pointing at the girl in bed. Rukia looked back at her then turned around, leaning against the windowsill. ''Heh...I'm the one healing you, _baka!_ Who do you think is the one making your body fit?'' Shane blinked at the girl then looked to the side. ''Well...I thought it was my powers that were doing it...'' The red-haired girl nearly fell off the windowsill, a look of both confusion and anger on her face.

''_Your_ powers?! Look, you little suicidal brat...who do you think saved you from the Cathedral Ship explosion, the coldness of space, the bullet wound in your shoulder, and not to mention the broken arm and rib you sustained by attacking that Gargoyle Gnosis? And that WAS a stupid thing to do.'' Shane looked at Rukia then looked down. ''Sorry...'' The red-haired girl stood back up, waving her hand in front of her. ''It's nothing,'' she told her. ''I get easily angered. Too damn easy, if I may add.''

''Like me,'' Shane said with a small chuckle. ''But of course.'' Rukia looked up at the ceiling then nodded some. ''...I see. So it's that time already...'' The silver haired girl looked at her double with confusion on her face. ''Hang on, what?'' The red-haired girl walked over to her and placed her hands on her shoulders.

''Shane. Shion and the others are waiting for you at a church. You know where it is. Also...'' Rukia headbutted the girl in her head, making them both stumble back.

''Agh?! What the fuck, man?!''

''Don't be stupid, alright?'' Rukia said as she stepped back, waving at her. A small smile came onto the red-haired girl's face. ''See you, Shannie.'' Shane looked around the room, seeing the room shimmer. She felt her legs give way under her as her world turned completely white.

* * *

In another area of the Encephalon, Shion (along with Allen and chaos) appeared in the forest area. The group looked around as Shion narrowed her eyes slightly to see a large building about a few feet away from where they stood. 

''Is that...a church...?'' She asked aloud. A low whoosing noise was suddenly heard as Jr.'s group appeared. ''Jr.?! How did you all get here...?'' The red-haired boy shrugged his small shoulders. ''Beats me,'' he told her. ''As soon as you dived, everything went all hazy, and the next thing I knew, we were here. After that, there were all sorts of visions...''

''Did we all get pulled into the Chief's Encephalon dive?'' Allen asked.

The brown-haired woman shook her head. ''That's impossible. None of you were connected.'' ''If KOS-MOS' oscillation pulse caused a counter-current to flow through the Dive Unit, its' not inconceivable. The one's we use are non-contact types, after all.''

''Even if that were the case,'' Shion said, ''the Simple Dive Unit couldn't handle that great a load. There would have to be some other external force...'' chaos folded his arms then looked at the ground. ''Regardless of how we got here, this is KOS-MOS' mainframe. Our memories found a common resonance within her, and resulted in the creation of this world...that's what it feels like to me.''

''But I don't remember ever being in a place like this,'' Allen said. ''I wonder if perhaps memories -- in other words, events that occurred in the past -- become stronger, more selective, and gain a higher priority when they resonate with others that share identical axes in time and space. If you think about it in those terms, it isn't quite so odd that both my memories and those of Allen are not reflected here.''

''So, what you're saying is that this world is constantly changing based on nthe experiences people share in time and space?'' Ziggy asked. ''A world made up of our past, as glimpsed through the mind of KOS-MOS...'' MOMO looked down at the gorund. ''So...its' all an illusion...?''

''There's no difference between illusion and reality to the person experiencing it. This is...no illusion,'' Shion said. Allen looked at her with a saddened look on his face. ''Chief...''

_All of you must accept the entirety of your memories..._

''So that's what she meant...'' The group walked to the church as MOMO looked around. ''Hey...wasn't Shane with us when the Dive happened?'' Shion nodded. ''That's right,'' she said. ''She was in the room...so..''

''So she could've been pulled in with us, too,'' Jr. answered. ''But what memories could she have...that are so bad?'' The group stood in front of the large doors of the church. Shion and Allen pushed on the large doors, the doors opening slowly and with a low creaking noise. Inside, the group saw a white haired woman wearing a combination of a blue/orange/gray dress sitting at the altar.

''Someone's here,'' Allen said. ''Those clothes...is she a Realian?''

''Yes...she definitely seems to be a Realian, but...I also sense something different...'' The pink-haired girl said in a quiet voice. ''Is this based on one of our memories, too, Chief?'' Allen looked at Shion. ''...Chief?'' The group got closer to see Shane laying on her side with her head in the white-haired Realian's lap.

''Shane?'' Shion said when she looked at the girl.

''Are you...a Realian?'' Ziggy asked her. The woman lifted her head to show golden eyes and a warm but inviting smile on her face. ''Yes,'' she said, ''my name is Febronia. I came to take care of this church because I longed for a place where Realians could find peace.''

''Febronia...''

''Do you know her?'' Jr. asked the brown haired woman. She lowered her head as she remembered where Febronia was eaten by monsters. ''I...I know you...I know...you!'' She placed her hands on her face as she trembled. ''But no...I don't want to remember...it's...it's...'' Febronia got up, placing Shane's head on the floor. The silver-haired girl opened her now red-violet eyes and looked up at the ceiling. ''Where the hell...?'' She sat up to see eveyone then rubbed her head slowly. ''You okay, Shane?'' Ziggy asked the girl as she stood up, straightening her hair. ''I'm alright...just a bit shaken up, though.'' Shane tried her best to smile at them.

''Shane...'' MOMO said the girl's name in a worried voice. The silver haired girl smiled at her then turned to Febronia as the white haired woman turned to Shion. ''Follow me, Shion,'' she said. The group watched Febronia go near the side of the door and into the back.

''The instant you open that door, you will come face-to-face with yourselves. It wil be an experience full of sorrow and pain...but it is, both to you and to us, a very, very important experience,'' Nephilim said as she stood near the door. She walked through the doorway. The group followed after the white-haired Realian female and the little girl through the door. Inside, the group entered a hallway where lightning flashed outside the windows.

''This...is inside of the Chief's soul?'' Allen asked aloud. Shion moved away from the group and approached one of the doors. ''This is...'' ''The Acute Neurosis Treatment Facility. A place you know well,'' Nephilim said standing next to them. Shane had jumped, clinging to chaos' arm tightly after the little girl appeared next to them.

''The room where Mom was hospitalized...'' Shion said sadly. ''Yes. A place where painful, sorrowful memories linger. I wonder...can you face them...'' The door opened as the group gasped in horror. There were dead bodies, including the mother and father of Shion, on the floor. Pools of blood had formed around the bodies and turning a darker shade of red. ''Oh my god,'' Shane murmered as MOMO hid her face in Ziggy's stomach. Shion panicked as she stepped back. The group turned to see monsters appearing, stabbing each other's back and possessing them to grow stronger. Jr. started to panic as the group continued to step back. In an flashback, Jr. was inside a dimly lit hexagonal lab as he saw the white haired boy from before laughing insanely.

''Al..bedo...'' The white haired boy continued to laugh then held his head. ''The Song...the song is...I...mirror, mirror, on the wall...show me...define me! I am the infinite telomerase! I am not an anti-existence! I am the PERFECT CHAIN!!!'' He continued to laugh as the flashback ended. Shion and Jr. were trembling with fear. Shane stepped back, falling on the floor. She screamed and held her head. ''No...I don't...I don't want to see it!!'' The silver-haired girl remembered seeing herself in the hospital in front of the bed where her dark-haired counterpart laid. The girl rose from her lying position as a crooked smile came onto her face. ''You're nothing...you're weak, stupid, and fat...!'' The girl lifted her head, blood streaming down the side of her face. Shane stepped back as the girl opened her eyes to show that they were blood-shot and the pupils black. ''N-no...you're not me!''

The group jumped as Shane let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed on the floor. Allen walked over to the girl, shaking her. ''Chief! Jr.! Shane! What's wrong with you three?! Hey! Chief?!'' He glanced over to the monsters, his eyes widening. ''Wha...what is...?!'' The group saw the monsters transforming into a large, hideous monster. Shane grabbed the brown-haired man's hand as she sat up slowly. ''Oi, Allen, care to help me up?'' He was startled at the tone of her voice. What startled him more is when she opened her eyes, now blue-green.

_What's going on...? _''Shane...are...you okay?'' The silver-haired girl stood and straightened her overcoat. ''Maa, Shane's not here right now. She's sleeping within me for the time being until she gets her head straight.'' MOMO looked at the girl who smiled at her. ''Then who are you?''

''Rukia, Shannie's 'darker half', so to speak.'' Rukia, in Shane's body, held out her right hand as light surrounded it. Immediately, a sword broke through the girl's hand. Allen watched in awe, seeing the girl twirl the seemingly large (but slim) sword in her hand. She gripped the black hilt and rushed at the monster along with the others as they fought the monster named Tiamat.

* * *

After what seemed like hours, Shion managed to deal the final blow, defeating the monster. Tiamat disappeared slowly as reddish-pink waves went everywhere. ''What...what's happening?!'' Shion exclaimed. The group appeared in an white area with a tree and grass around the roots. There, a woman resembling Febronia sat under the shade of the tree while two little girls ran around the tree, chasing each other. ''I am sorry, Shion.'' The group turned to see another woman who looked like Febronia standing behind them. ''I know it was hard for you...but...'' Shion's eyes widened at the sight as she looked back at the woman sitting under the tree and to the woman standing in front of them. 

''There are...two of you...''

"The woman sitting over there isn't me; it's just an image created for the girls. An illusion. This is their world...created sole for Cecily and Cathe. I am using KOS-MOS' Encephalon construction abilities to show it to all of you.'' The silver haired woman looked at Shane/Rukia who folded her arms. "But…they seem to be so happy,'' Allen stated as he saw the smiles on the little girls' faces. "Would you say that… …if you were to see this?'' The area around the tree shimmered, turning into a dark and grave world. The tree was dead, rotting along with the Febronia look-alike who slumped against the tree. A darkened pool of blood was around her; the little girls continued to run around the dead tree. "This is…just an illusion that traps them here… A binding spell created by mankind to control the Zohar. But, as far as they know, this world is reality. I want you…to release my sisters… Please, for the future of the Realians as well…'' The Febronia behind the group said sadly.

"The future of the Realians…?" Shion asked.

"Not just for their future…but for the future of humans, non-humans, and all matter of living consciousness…" Everyone looked to Nephilim as she stood beside Shane/Rukia. "Feb and I can only exist in this world of consciousness. We can only come into contact with the real world for a short time. That is why I called for all of you…so that the future may be changed."

"Change…the future?" Nephilim turned around and pointed ahead of everyone. "Look,'' she said. The entire area shimmered again, the grave world disappearing. It was soon replaced with outer space as the planet Miltia appeared. Shane/Rukia craned her head to look back at the planet, narrowing her eyes. ''Miltia,'' Shion whispered. The silver haired girl looked up and pointed at an incoming object from the distance. ''Look, someone's comin' !'' Everyone looked up to see a different version of KOS-MOS. She wore advanced armor that was attached to her shoulders, arms, and legs. A pair of boosters were attached to her shoulders and back, a shield covering her face; blasters on her hips. She carried a large staff in her hand which was similiar to a scythe. It almost looked like she had a pair of angel wings.

"That's…KOS-MOS?!"

The planet glowed a bright red as it fired a crimson beam at the blue-haired android. The blasters glowed brightly, KOS-MOS firing a royal blue beam at the planet which sent her back slightly. The two beams slammed into each other as the entire area blew up in a chain reaction. "That stream of energy…is the consciousness known as U-DO.'' Jr. looked at the brown-haired girl with a horrified look on his young face. "What? U-DO…?!'' Nephilim looked to Shane/Rukia who stepped forward, moving her hair behind her ear. "U-DO...was the source of the space-time anomaly that engulfed Miltia 14 years ago,'' she said as everyone (including Shion and Jr.) looked at her with a surprised look. "What you just saw was a vision of the future, where U-DO encounters KOS-MOS in the form in which she was meant to be. U-DO will awaken soon. He feeds upon the consciousness of those who intend to awaken him, as well as those who wish to seek him…''

"It's gonna wake up…soon…?" The red-haired boy asked. "The future you just saw is but one of an infinite set of potential phenomena. But that does not mean that the future is already set. Even the smallest of waves can spread throughout the whole. Phenomena change with every moment, just like a drifting wave,'' The brown-haired girl told him and everyone else. "Are you saying…that we're that wave?" In response, Shane/Rukia nodded. "Yet, before it all begins… I wanted you to…face your pasts. But… I see you are not ready yet. I am sorry."

"But…why us?"

"Shion…you were once touched by a Gnosis. Despite that, you remain unchanged, the same as before. That would account for Shane who survived the coldness of space. That is why…"

Shion looked at Shane who was glancing back at the starry space. "That's why…?" Nephilim shook her head slowly as Febronia walked over to the girl's side. "There will be a time when I can discuss why. If you go back to Miltia… The place where it all began… Then you will see…" With that said, the two entities disappeared from everyone's view. "Wait!" A 19th century door appeared in front of the group as they looked at it. It glowed with a blue outline. ''That door...'' Shane/Rukia walked to the door, opening it. ''Come on, you guys,'' she told them. The group nodded and walked through the door. Behind them, the door had closed, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. The group found themselves in a dimly lit cave with a rectangular stone box in the middle. At the back of the cave was a cross-shaped stone with KOS-MOS tied to it by wiring.

"KOS-MOS… So, this is your…" Shion reached up to the blue-haired android who seemed to be sleeping as her body began to glow with a blue hue. ''Ye Shall Be As Gods...'' KOS-MOS stirred at the saying, replying, ''Disarming subconcious domain protection.'' Everyone shielded their eyes as the entire area turned brighter and brighter...

* * *

Back on the Elsa inside the maintenance room, the group laid on the floor with their eyes closed, looking like they were unconcious. By the wall, Shane stirred from her unconcious state and held her head. ''Ooh...god, my head's killing me...'' She looked over the room to see chaos and Shion waking up. ''Shion, are you okay?'' The woman looked at her, nodding and stood up. Soon afterwards, MOMO, Ziggy, Allen, and Jr. woke up. The group turned to see the maintenance bed opening to show KOS-MOS, who woke up to stare at the ceiling. She sat up slowly and looked at everyone with her sensors. 

''Morning...KOS-MOS...''

''Good morning, Shion,'' the android said.

''Well, looks like we all managed to make it back.'' Shane nodded at chaos' words. Allen looked at Shion then whimpered as he ran over to her. ''Chief!'' She turned to him then turned red when he embraced her. ''...I'm so relieved you're okay!'' The brown haired woman blinked slowly. ''A...Allen?''

At the bridge of the Durandal, Shion's group entered as the Vector employee walked over to Captain Lapis Roman. She held up a black video disk to her. ''I present to you the memory bank data from the Anti-Gnosis Humanoid Weapon System KP-X, KOS-MOS. Protection Level AAA, with no possibility of alteration,'' she told the female captain. The black haired woman took to disk and nodded. ''Memory bank data accepted. Please remain within the Miltian star system until you're cleared of all charges."

Later, Mary let out a breath of relief. ''Phew, well I'm sure glad that escapade's over and done with!'' Shelley looked over to Jr. who had a look of depression on his face. ''You don't look very happy,'' she said. ''Did something happen?'' ''Huh?'' He looked up at the lavender-haired woman and nodded some. ''Yeah, you could say that...I still can't believe it...'' The group looked at Captain Lapis as she walked over to them. ''We've got another friend of yours to release too.'' Gaignun had walked over to them with two soldiers carrying automatic weapons. Mary and Shelley's faces lit up.

''Oh...! Master Gaignun!''

''Master Gaignun...!!''

Shane turned her head away as the two women ran up and hugged the dark-haired man like they haven't seen him in years. _Bad, Shane...get your mind outta the gutter_, she thought. Jr. looked up at him, his hands on his hips. ''Hey.'' He smiled some. ''You've done well...'' The red-haired boy rubbed the back of his head. ''Ahh, no big deal...But...it sure brough back a lot of bad memories,'' he told him. He looked at Shion. ''Hey, Shion...that girl...she called herself Nephilim, right?''

''Uh...yeah,'' Shion said.

''Are you sure?''

''Yes, but...'' She watched the boy fold his arms then lowered his head to the ground. ''Hmm...'' ''What's wrong?'' Shion asked him with concern. ''Well...if that girl is somehow connected to what I'm thinking of...then things are gonna get real busy soon...''

Chapter Nineteen: End _(LOONG chapter...R&R..)_


	20. Evacuating the Foundation

**Chapter Twenty: Evacuating the Foundation**

''...She was crying, wasn't she?''

In the Park area of the Kukai Foundation, Allen and chaos sat on a bench looking at a water found nearby. The brown haired man remembered back when Shion cried over the death of her fiancee, Kevin. He felt so helpless at that time. And he still felt that way. ''I think that's only the second time I've ever seen her cry,'' he said softly. "No matter what happens, she never shares her pain with anyone… It's times like these when I'm reminded that I'm nothing but a subordinate to her. I… I wish I could take her tears away… Maybe… …someday.''

''You will...Allen, someday,'' chaos told him. He shook his head slowly. ''Easy for you to say. You don't know a thing about us…'' The white-haired boy looked at him, puzzled. Allen looked at him then held up his hands in apology. "Oh…I'm sorry… It's just… I didn't mean to say that…''

"We've only known each other for a short while…but I can see that you have a good heart, Allen,'' he said in his gentle tone of voice.

"You're too nice, chaos…"

"Kindness… At times, it binds us. But still…"

* * *

In the Residential Area, Shane laid on the bed of her room, her hands behind her head. Rukia...I know...that she had possessed me and took over while we were in the Encephalon, she thought to herself. But... She held up her hand in front of her face. ''That sword...it'd came out of my hand...right?'' She sat up, scratching her head in confusion. ''But the blade should've cut me!'' 

_It did, but I healed you before anyone could notice._

_Wait, huh?! ...Rukia?_

_Right_, the girl's voice echoed in Shane's head. The silver-haired girl knocked on her head a couple of times then stood up, walking to the large mirror by the door. She gasped at the reflection. Rukia stood in the mirror, her arms folded with a smile on her face. ''Hey, Shannie.'' ''Don't call me by that stupid name!'' Her red-haired counterpart pulled her own cheek as Shane did the same.

''OW! W-what the hell?!''

''I'm in your body too, remember, Shannie? So I can control you on how I see fit,'' she said. ''But only if you want me to.'' The white-haired girl nodded as she rubbed her own cheek. ''So...you could possess me if you wanted to?'' Rukia nodded and leaned against the frame of the window. ''Ay-yup. You know...you shouldn't let your mind wander. Some folks could pick up on it...''

''..Gaignun and Jr. ...'' The girl slapped her head which made Rukia reel back, holding her head too. ''Hey!'' Shane flinched, holding up her hands. ''Sorry...but I'm right, yeah?'' The red-head nodded and folded her arms again. ''Yeah, but you best be careful, Shannie. You're gonna play a critical part in this story, too...'' Shane watched her reflection turn back to normal as she touched the mirror.

''...A critical part?''

* * *

The next day, Shion walked out of her room and stretched. ''Oooh, I was a little too cold towards Allen earlier. I better apologize to him in person. I wonder where he went?'' She searched for her subordinate everywhere until she found him in the Iron Man Bar at Sector 27. She was surprised to see Shane in the bar who stood by a pillar. She walked over to the girl and saw Allen posing at the standees. ''Shane, why are you here? ...And Allen, what in the world are you doing here?'' 

He looked at Shion as he blushed, getting out of his pose. ''Oh, Chief! What's the matter? Weren't you resting in your room?'' She nodded some, scratching her cheek lightly. "Yeah, I was going to but…" Shion looked at the silver-haired girl who held a coke in her hand and shrugged. ''I'm just here cheering him on,'' she said.

"Oh, yeah, take a look. What do you think of this pose?! I look pretty cool, don't I? I really hit off with this person! He's teaching me right now,'' Allen said in a enthusiatic voice. He looked at the brown haired woman who glared at him. "...Umm, what's the matter?''

"…Oh no, it's nothing. As long as you're all right. I'm going to go back to the Durandal,'' She said in a strained voice. She turned and walked to the door, waving at him and Shane. "See ya!" The silver-haired girl looked at Allen who was looking at Shion, confused. "What? Chief?! What's the matter? What are you so mad about?!"

''...You're such a dumbass, Ridgley...'' Shane said under her breath and drank her coke.

* * *

In the white A.G.W.S. unit, Albedo sat in his pilot's seat holding the body of a subordinate 100-Series Realian, cradling the little girl in his arms. Her eyes were open but she wasn't breathing. He heard the static of the intercom as he glanced at it. "The vermin have eluded the trap,'' Margulis' voice said. "Prepare yourself…'' A low chuckle came from the back of the white-haired man's throat. "So, we'll finally hear it…'' Albedo threw the Realian to the side like a rag doll as he held up his hands, laughing insanely. "The Song! I can't wait…for that wonderful song!" He said, his laughter echoing through the machine. Later, Shane was walking back to the Durandal as she stopped abruptly. Her hands went to her head in a defensive motion and kneeled down. 

''What the...why can I...hear singing?'' She asked herself in a strained voice. _Shane! _She looked up to hear Rukia's voice. _That song...get back to the Durandal at once! _The silver-haired girl nodded, running to the elevator doors. In Gaignun's office, Jr. looked up at the ceiling. He had a look of both confusion and fear. "Hey, Gaignun… That's…" The dark-haired man gritted his teeth, looking at the ceiling too. "It can't be… The Song of Nephilim…?" Back in the Elsa, chaos stood up from his chair on the bridge.

"No!" He said, slamming his hands on the console. Captain Matthews looked at him in confusion. "chaos…?"

"That Song. They mustn't allow it to play…" Outside the Foundation, the Federation ships were being destroyed one by one.

* * *

On the bridge of the Durandal, warning alarms were going off. "Large-scale gate-out. Repeat, large-scale gate-out. The U.M.N. geodesic structure is being forcibly replaced!!'' a 100-Series cried out. 

"The Gnosis…?!"

"Jr., the Federation ships…!" On the many monitors, gnosis--big and small--appeared and attacked the Federation ships along with the A.G.W.S units that tried to stop them. "The Gnosis are closing in! Four minutes to contact with the Foundation!" Shelley turned to the 100-Series that were typing away at their consoles, pointing at the outside. "The civilians! Start evacuating them immediately!" She ordered. She then turned to Jr. "If all else fails, we may have to abandon the Foundation. Is that acceptable?" The red-haired boy nodded. "I'll leave it to you. Evacuate all civilians into the Durandal!" He told her.

"Acknowledged. I'll make the announcement." Shelley sat down at her console and ordered the citizens to evacuate to the Durandal quickly. Shane ran onto the bridge, falling to the ground as MOMO turned to look at her. ''Shane, are you okay?'' She waved her hand at the pink-haired Realian, standing up. She looked up at the screen as she walked over to the group. ''That's a lot of Gnosis...''

"Where's KOS-MOS?!" Shion cried out, looking around. "If we activate the Hilbert Effect, it could buy us some time for the evacuation!" Just then, the blue-haired android walked onto the bridge. "Shion, did you call for me?" She asked as she looked at the woman. "KOS-MOS, are you ready?"

"Yes. I am ready." On the monitors, the gnosis suddenly appeared in the Kukai Foundation. "Reports of Gnosis sighted in colony precinct 32! They've also penetrated precincts 18 and 27!'' A 100-Series cried out. "What!?"

"The Hilbert Effect!" Shion ordered to KOS-MOS as the android complied. "Affirmative. Activating Hilbert Effect." The scope from KOS-MOS' headgear fell over her red eyes, the rainbow wave spreading out over the entire area. Shion let out a sigh of relief. "This should keep them from materializing inside the colony,'' she told everyone. chaos nodded. "In any case, we have to hurry up and get everyone onboard. If we don't do something, the Gnosis are going to take over the entire Metropolis.'' MOMO raised her hand in response. "I'll help with the evacuation!" "I'll go as well,'' Ziggy said. ''Same here,'' Shane replied as she folded her arms. The brown haired woman looked to KOS-MOS with a look of concern. She remembered the illusion of when she had destroyed Miltia. "KOS-MOS… We're counting on you,'' she told her.

KOS-MOS nodded. "I am happy to be of service." Shion smiled some.

"Good."

* * *

Outside in outer space, the remaining A.G.W.S units were fighting against the onslaught of Gnosis that appeared. Suddenly, a big white A.G.W.S. appeared as the other machines tried to fire at it only to be shot down in response. The white A.G.W.S unit also shot down a bunch of Gnosis instantly, just as it did the other A.G.W.S units. 

"Weak! They're all so _weak_!!" Albedo said, laughing maniacally as the war outside continued. At the Kukai Foundation's Launch Pad, MOMO helped the injured while Shane and Shion stood at the shuttle rushing everyone to get inside. Shion looked at the Realian with worry. "MOMO! Hurry and get in!" She looked back at her. "I'm okay! I've got to help treat these injured people,'' MOMO said as she looked at a man's wound. "This person's bleeding heavily…" Shane turned to the brown haired woman then patted her shoulder. ''You go on ahead, alright? I'll protect MOMO.''

Shion nodded as she climbed in the shuttle. "All right! We'll come back for you two soon!" She yelled, the door closing shut and flying to the safe point. The silver-haired girl walked over to MOMO and knelt down beside her. ''Anything I can do to help?'' The pink-haired girl looked to Shane and nodded. ''Yes, you can. Help me treat his wound.'' As the two treated the injured, a shadow slowly walked up behind them. "You'll be okay. I'll close the wound now with some nanospray." Shane lifted her head and looked back behind her, her world turning black.

Chapter Twenty: End _(Nothing to say. R&R.)_


	21. Frailty of The Female Heart

**Chapter Twenty-One: Frailty of The Female Heart**

After the group dropped off the remaining civilians, they took the shuttle back the Kukai Foundation's Launch Pad to check on MOMO and Shane, possibly to bring them back to the ship. When they got there, the two had apparently vanished. "Oh? How strange… MOMO and Shane aren't here. Where could they have gone?" Shion said to herself. The group proceeded to the Residential Area. There, Shion saw her subordinate and ran over to him. "Allen!" He turned to look at her and the others. "Have you seen MOMO or Shane!" He blinked at them. "Well, no, they're not back yet? I thought they were with you,'' he said. Ziggy shook his head. "MOMO stayed behind to treat the injured and Shane stayed to protect her, but they wern't there when we returned. We thought they might have come back on their own…''

"Damn, where the hell is she…? Some protector Shane is,'' Jr. said as he folded his arms. "All right, I'll get our 100-Series to start searching for them. They shouldn't have any trouble, being the same model as MOMO and all." The blonde cyborg nodded. "Thanks. We've eliminated the Gnosis within the Colony, but there isn't any guarantee they won't be back." 

* * *

In an unknown area, Shane woke up to the dimly lit darkness and sat up, holding her head. ''Ow...geez, what the hell happened?'' She looked over to her side only a few inches away to see MOMO waking up. The pink-haired Realian sat up, holding her head. ''Where…am…I…?'' She mumbled softly. Her golden eyes met the darker hue of Shane's. She noticed that in the dim darkness, her eyes shimmered some. ''Shane...?'' The silver-haired girl crawled over to her as MOMO shivered and held her arms. "It's so cold… What happened…?" She looked up at Shane who had taken off her black overcoat, drapping it over her small shoulders.

''I dunno...but...'' She closed her eyes and remembered back at the Launch Pad where she and MOMO saw someone walking away from them. The pink-haired Realian stood up fast, her eyes widening in surprise. ''Nani, MOMO-chan, what's wrong?'' She stood up when the little girl followed after the man, saying, "Daddy! Daddyyyy!" Shane followed her to the alley where the man went. MOMO went inside only to find the man gone; the alley empty.

''...Daddy...'' Shane walked into the alley and took the Realian's hand. ''Come on, we should get back to the Launch Pad, okay?'' MOMO nodded as they began to walk out of the alley. The two stopped when they saw Albedo standing at the entrance/exit. MOMO trembled, hiding behind Shane's back. The silver-haired girl gritted her teeth as the flashback ended. "I…I can't remember,'' The pink-haired girl said. _Well, I do..._ MOMO covered her nose with the overcoat sleeves. "What…is that smell? It's so…strange…'' Shane covered her nose as well. ''It...it smells familiar,'' she said to herself. "It's faint, but it's coming from somewhere…" The two jumped at a noise close to them, Shane taking out a .9MM handgun from the holster around her waist (when and where she bought it who knows), and pointed it down the corridor. 

"Who's there!"

''...MOMO, don't say that 'cause something bad's gonna happen...'' The silver-haired girl walked forward along with MOMO to see a 99-Series Realian lying against the wall. ''Oh man...'' MOMO let the overcoat slip off her shoulders, running over to the dark-skinned Realian who seemed unconscious. ''MOMO...this girl...''

"No. 0097… My sister… That's it, isn't it…? This is Daddy's place…'' _Daddy's place?_ "I finally get to meet you…and we can't even talk… There were so many things I wanted to ask about you, about Daddy…" In response, the 99-Series Realian moved a little. The pink-haired girl gasped. "…You're still alive! Are you okay? Who did this to you?" She asked with worry in her voice. The dark-skinned girl touched MOMO's face as she closed her eyes. Shane watched them for a moment then looked away when she saw the Realian's hand fall to the floor.

"Was that…your memory…?" MOMO asked as she picked up her hand and held it. "Thank you. Thank you for letting me see Daddy…" The dark-skinned girl's eyes went blank. MOMO looked up at a large door then looked back to the 99-Series Realian. "He's here, right…? Through that door…?" She placed the girl's hand on her lap and stood up, looking at Shane. 

''Let's go.'' The silver-haired girl nodded as the two proceeded to the next area. What they didn't notice was that the Realian's left hand was moving after they had left.. 

* * *

Back at the Durandal on the bridge, the group looked at the monitors to see the Federation ships closing in. "The Federation fleet is surrounding us again!" Mary said as she looked at the radar screen on the console. "Now what're they up to!" Shion cried out. Shelley typed at her console as she brought up a screen. "I think I know. Look at the movements of the Gnosis." She pointed out several keypoints on the screen that showed the movement status of the Gnosis. "The pattern of the Gnosis gate-outs are near the center of the Foundation,'' she said.

"What about the Zohars in the hangars?" Gaignun asked the blonde-haired sibling. She turned to him. "They're in stasis! Attract Inhibitor output is normal!" He lowered his head, looking to the side as he thought about it. "So if the Zohars in the Durandal aren't calling the Gnosis, then…"

"Gaignun,'' Jr. said in an uneasy voice. "…It's the Song we've been hearing, isn't it…?" The dark-haired man nodded slowly. "Indeed. It's faint, but there's no mistaking it. No one else seems able to hear it, though…" The brown-haired woman looked around the bridge then cupped her ears. "Hey, do you guys hear something? It sounds…like a…song?"

"A…song?" Allen asked as everyone looked at Shion puzzled. "I don't hear anything. You sure you aren't imagining things?" She shook her head some. "I don't know… I swear I can hear it,'' she told him. The red-haired boy looked at her then thought, _She hears it? How's that possible? _Gaignun looked at Jr. _Why…am I feeling so unsettled? This image…just won't leave my mind… _

_You too? This darkness… I feel…like I'm being dragged down into an abyss… _The red-head's eyes widened. "It can't be…!" As he said this, the gnosis appeared from outside, preparing for another attack. 

* * *

(HA! All my hard work has paid off...finally, the scene you've all been waiting for!)

MOMO and Shane walked into a chapel-like area with candles lit around the dark room. They could still see, but it was difficult to. The silver-haired girl took the safety off the gun in her hands as she looked around. This place...why does it feel so familiar...? Her thoughts were broken when she heard MOMO's voice. 

"I knew it. I knew I wasn't imagining it…" Her boot thudded against something as she looked down. She gasped, covering her mouth and stepped back. Shane looked down as well only to nearly gag. The bodies of 99-Series Realians--or Kirshwassers--laid on the floor against the walls and pillars; some on top of one another. MOMO fell to her knees, trying not to throw up as Shane did the same. Now the two knew what the smell was. 

The smell of rotting flesh. 

Shane let out a gasping breath, shaking. ''Oh my god, those kids...'' She felt tears streaming down her face as she gripped her eyes closed only to have a familiar male voice echo through the room. "Such tears… What beauty they hold…these tears of sorrow… Surely they are the most precious substance in the world." MOMO and the silver-haired girl looked at the center of the room to see Albedo sitting in a throne-like seat, holding the corpse of a Kirschwasser. He smiled when Shane glared at him. "But, are you both worthy to shed such tears? The act of mourning the dead belongs to the realm of humans,'' he said coldly. 

"You did this…didn't you?" MOMO asked angrily. The silver-haired girl was shocked by the Realian's response as she pointed the gun at him. ''Of course the bastard did...he's the only one here. Noone...no human could've done this...!'' Albedo grinned at Shane's response then looked down at the Kirschwasser in his arms. He grabbed her arm by the wrist. "Ah, my beautiful little Kirschwasser… But still… Can you really call this a corpse?" He roughly pulled the Realian's arm as it made a cracking noise, scaring MOMO and making Shane wince in pain if she had felt it. 

"Frailty, thy name is woman… No, that's not right. You little Realians weren't even born from a woman's womb,'' the white-haired man said. He stood up and threw the Kirschwasser to the side like a rag doll as he walked over to MOMO. Shane pointed the gun at him, stepping in front of her. ''Stay back, asshole!'' She froze up when he placed his left hand against her face. He grinned at her response, rubbing his thumb against her skin.

_W-what the hell...why am I...I'm shaking...!_

"The human race, fearful in its weakness, built this world in a futile attempt to elude the abyss they call mortality. Culture…civilization…all delusions created by a powerless race, and of little use, like a barren woman,'' he told the two as he took out a knife and trailed it against Shane and MOMO's faces. He circled them, continuing his speech. "But amidst all this, you continue to exist as an unfettered soul, free from the shackles of flesh and blood… A completely pure consciousness… An eternal spiral, undefiled by impurities… a fusion of fire, breath, and spirit… What can we call you…but angels? New, unadulterated psyches… But what you lack is reality. And that is what I shall provide you with…!" 

Albedo stabbed himself in his left arm (above the elbow) with the knife and began to cut through the skin, blood dripping onto the floor. The girls' eyes widened as Shane pushed MOMO towards the door. The silver-haired girl flinched when he ripped off his own arm and threw it to the floor. The white-haired man stepped towards them, frightening them further. A burgandy/purple aura appeared around the stump. Slowly, the aura began to form the shape of an arm as made a motion to punch at Shane's face, saying, ''Boo!'' MOMO screamed and fell to the floor, pulling Shane down with her. Albedo let out a insane laugh. 

''How could you...you're a fucking _monster_, man!'' Her guess was proven right as the crazed man immediately stabbed himself in the neck, cutting through the thick skin; blood spraying onto the floor. Some of the blood sprayed onto Shane's face and shirt sleeves. She looked away and covered MOMO's face, hiding her eyes from the intense display. ''Don't look, MOMO!'' The silver-haired girl said. The two heard a moist thud hit the floor in front of them as Shane glanced to look. Her eyes widened along with the pink-haired girl's when they saw Albedo's crazed grin on his face. He made a 'tsk' noise as he looked at the girls. "Ah, ma belle pêche…there's no need to tremble like that. Else you'll make me feel like a péché myself,'' he told MOMO who was horrified by his gruesome action. His eyes focused on her then grinned. "Was that a glimpse of a man that I caught in your heart? Who is it, this red-haired…? Red-haired…Rubedo… Ah, it's Rubedo! Oh, that's just _perfect_…!" 

The white-haired man let out another insane laugh as his still headless body placed a foot on his head, stomping on the skull and crushing it. Blood splattered on the ground when Shane covered MOMO's eyes again. She glanced to see the blood pooling in a small puddle. Her eyes traveled up to where his head used to be only to see the same aura she saw when he ripped off his arm appear and take on the form of a head. Albedo's hands went up to his newly formed head, loudly snapping his neck in place and sighed in relief. "Do you know what he said while he coughed up his lifeblood? "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone." Wheat, eh? There's enough of it, we can afford to waste as much as we want. Like my head, you see!" He said to the frightened girls. He moved closer to them and touched MOMO's face, a grin appearing on his dark-skinned face. 

"What do you think, my beloved pêche…?" The pink-haired girl let out a cry as she fainted in Shane's arms from the intensity of what she saw. The older girl shook her small shoulders. ''Ah, MOMO! MOMO, wake up! We have to get outta here!'' She glared at the white-haired man who laughed maniacally. ''You bastard,'' she said in a seething voice. ''I'll _fucking_ kill you!'' She shot him twice in the chest then once in his head, making him reel back and fall to the floor. She laid the unconcious MOMO down then stood up. She walked over to his motionless body and kicked his side. The silver-haired girl turned around, running her fingers through her hair. _I shot him...I shot a man... _She covered her mouth with her hand. ''I shot him..!'' 

''But you didn't kill me, my little Kirschwasser.''

Shane turned around, pointing the gun at the newly risen Albedo who wiped the blood from his forehead. He chuckled coldly as she shot him in his hand when he made a grab for the gun. He snatched the .9MM out of her hands and threw it towards the door. ''Bastard!'' She yelled as she punched at his face only to have her fist caught in his bloody palm. He narrowed his violet eyes at her then got into her face. ''Who is that I see in your eyes, Kirschwasser? Red hair...is it Rubedo? No...it's--''

''I have a name, you bloody pedophile! It's Shane!''

Albedo chuckled and grabbed her neck with her free hand, lifting her off the floor. ''That was a costly mistake, _Shane_,'' he said coldly. ''You may look like one of my Kirschwassers, but you have a soul; a will to stay alive. You survived outer space, even a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Maybe it's that ''other soul'' residing in you that's given you power. But answer me this, Shane: Why are you so reckless, hm?'' He tightened his grip on her neck which made her cry out in pain. ''And you can feel pain too...'' She gritted her teeth as she grabbed his wrist. ''Unlike them,'' she began to say. Her grip tightened and crushed his wrist, making him drop her onto the floor. She gasped for breath then glared at him. ''Unlike them, I fight back against the men who hurt me!'' She stood up, holding her hand out as the blade formed in thin air. She grabbed the golden hilt and went into a sword fighting stance. ''I'll make you pay for what you did to those Realians!'' Shane let out a war cry, rushing at him. He grinned widely when he felt the blade go through his stomach and out of his back.

''I'll break you,'' he told her in a cold but husky voice. She tried to break away from him only to have her arms grabbed tightly. ''Let me go, you obsessed pervert!'' She yelled. Shane froze up when she felt him embrace her almost lovingly. ''...You...are that something besides ma peche that will complete me...'' She felt a sharp pain go through her body as she screamed in anguish. He let her drop to the floor, watching her hit the floor with a small thud. He grabbed the gold hilt of the longsword and stabbed it in front of her face. ''Sleep, Kirschwasser Shane. I'm sure Rubedo will join us soon...'' Albedo laughed, walking over to MOMO's motionless body. The silver-haired girl tried to turn her head, groaning in pain. She felt her head become dizzy and hazy as she laid her head down back on the floor. 

_My head...what the fuck did he do to me...? _She watched him carry the pink-haired Realian back to his makeshift throne, reaching for him. ''N-no...don't...hurt her...'' She blinked a couple of times to see images of an open field with a blue sky and the sun. She saw three--no, four children running through the field, laughing. _Those kids...they look...familiar_, Shane thought to herself. The children all wore the same uniform--a blue jumpsuit with dark blue lines along the end of the sleeves, zippers, and pants leg. All of them held hands as they ran. She noticed that out of the four was a red-haired girl with burgandy streaks in her hair..

_Rukia?_

Chapter Twenty-One: End _(Interesting stuff, ne? What was that vision Shane had? Why was Rukia among the four children playing in the field? Please R&R to read on and find out!)_


	22. Tourniquet

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Tourniquet**

**(A/N: Named after the song by Evanescence)**

In outer space, the Federation ships continued to fire beams at the onslaught of more gnosis and destroyed most of them. On one of the ships, a Federation employee turned to the Captain standing on the upper part of the bridge. "Captain! We haven't received our orders to attack from Fleet Command yet!'' He cried out. The stubborn Captain shook his head. "That's irrelevant! Their treachery is already well known! We'll settle this right now!" He pointed to the Foundation on the screen monitor. "Target the Kukai Foundation! All ships, fire on…" Just then, a beam was fired at the gnosis from an unseen place.

"What was that!" 

A large starship--grey in color--about 10,000 km² with a pyramid-like structure in the centre of the ship at the very top appeared out of the gate jump area. "Impossible…! That isn't supposed to be here…!" The Federation Captain said in shock. In one of the ships of the Dammerung, many people in Vector employee uniforms sat at consoles and typed away orders on the keyboards. "Woglinde II, Wellgunde, Floßhilde, all systems check. Rhine Maiden operating within normal parameters. 30 seconds to second wave of attack,'' A female voice said over the intercom. "Coordinate corrections for Wellgunde, complete. Floßhilde, also complete. Preparations for second wave of attack, complete. All ships in formation." With that order, the large planet-sized ship fired their weapons at the gnosis, destroying them all in the process. 

* * *

On the bridge of the Durandal, everyone watched in awe of the amazing weapon that was fired. "The Rhine Maiden… So she's operational now…"

"Chief!" An annoyingly cheerful voice said over an intercom as a woman wearing a red/khaki colored Vector uniform appeared on the screen. "Miyuki?" Shion asked in confusion. "Where are you calling in from…?" "Woo hoo! Pretty cool, huh? Did you see the Rhine Maiden? I am soooo glad I requested that transfer to Second Division! If I didn't, I never would've seen this beauty in action." 

_Apparently, she didn't hear me... _Shion looked at Miyuki with confusion at her last sentence. ''Wait, Second Division? What're you…" She shook her head, waving her hand in her face. "I'll tell ya later. Is KOS-MOS there with you?" She asked.

"Huh? Yeah, but… "

"Okay, I'll send it over then." Shion looked back behind her to see a black case appearing on the bridge. She knelt down to the small black case and opened to, her eyes widening. "Miyuki? Isn't this…!" She looked back at the monitor. "There's some type of force field concentrated near here. There's a very high probability that it's what's attracting the Gnosis."

"A force field?" Shion asked. 

"Right. The observational guys said whatever it is, it's definitely something man-made. Anyway, we can find the origin of this field if we link up the Dämmerung's mainframe with KOS-MOS' D.S.S.S. sensor,'' she told her. "It appears as though the enemy's using some kind of cloaking device to conceal itself right now, but there should be a wrinkle or two in the surrounding space, though. We figured that if we can tear those open, we'll be able to find out what we're dealing with." The brown-haired woman looked at the inside of the black case. "Is that why you gave me this PT cartridge? I mean… Do you have any idea what this thing is?" She pointed to the gun and cartridge. Miyuki nodded some. "Of course! …Or so I'd like to claim, but I actually just transferred in, so I'm not really sure." She said as she shrugged.

Shion sighed. "Look, Miyuki,'' she began to explain. "This cartridge is a weapon! It sets off a phase transfer that destroys everything in the area. It may be localized, but you could vaporize an entire star with this thing if you wanted to. You'd have to be insane to try using this in a populated area." KOS-MOS lifted her head to look at the brown-haired woman. "Shion…" She looked back at the blue-haired android. "What is it, KOS-MOS?" Her green eyes met with seemingly empty red eyes. "By limiting the phase transfer mass, I can activate the device without impacting either the Federation fleet or the Kukai Foundation."

"You can do that?'' She asked. KOS-MOS nodded. "Affirmative. This is one of my many functions." "Even the Rhine Maiden's got a limitation to how much she can fire. Let's take out the source before the Gnosis overwhelm us!" Miyuki said on the monitor. Shion had a look of uncertainty on her face, looking down at the case in her hands. "But…"

"Shion… This is the Song of Nephilim. There's no question about it,'' Jr. stated as he looked up at her. She looked at his blue eyes. "The Song of Nephilim? What is it?" The red-haired boy folded his arms, looking at the screen. "The single worst creation that ever resulted from Joachim Mizrahi's research. It was the Song that destroyed Miltia and summoned the Gnosis. We've gotta stop it before everything goes out of control."

"Out of control…?" 

He growled, gritting his teeth as he said, "And we still haven't found MOMO or Shane yet. We've gotta move!" Shion looked down again. ''I know, but…" 

"Any sign of MOMO or Shane yet?" Ziggy asked. One of the 100-Series shook her head, not taking her eyes off the screen. "We're still scanning, but we haven't located them yet,'' she told him. The blonde cyborg nodded. "I see…" He turned his head at Shion. "We've got to make a decision, Shion. We can't hold out against another Gnosis attack." She nodded and lifted her head to look at everyone. "…All right. Let's see what we can do." 

* * *

Later, outside in space, KOS-MOS floated to the position where she would use the weapon. She held the gun in her hand as she looked to the side, hearing Shion's voice from the embedded microphone in her ear. "Listen to me, KOS-MOS,'' she heard the brown-haired woman tell her. "Try to keep the phase transfer mass as low as possible. All we need is the locus of that force field." The blue-haired android nodded as she held up the gun and opened it. "Affirmative. Setting transfer mass to 0.11 MPT. Transfer time set to 4.8 times ten to the negative thirty-eighth. Loading cartridge." She loaded the black cartridge with the red band around it, watching it transform into a larger gun. She held it with her other hand like it weighed nothing.

"Bypass between D.S.S.S. and mainframe secured. Opening multidirectional scan,'' Miyuki said. KOS-MOS used her sensors to find the area. Immediately, she found it. "Distortion detected at direction 8-0-1-8, near the U.M.N. structure. It is currently emitting a weak column pulse."

"That's it! And your line of fire?"

"Line of fire, clear. Awaiting orders,'' the android said in her monotone voice. Back on the Durandal's bridge, Shion looked at Shelley. "Shelley, are the anti-electromagnetic shields ready?" She asked. The purple-haired woman nodded, typing at the console. "Preparations are complete." She turned to look back at Shion. "You may fire at will." She nodded then turned back to the monitor. "Roger. KOS-MOS, fire the phase transfer cannon!" KOS-MOS acknowlodged the order and fired the cannon at the area as it made contact with an invisible wall. Suddenly, a a pyramid-shaped space station shimmered out of existance--the Song of Nephilim had appeared. 

* * *

Inside the station--the cold area where Shane and MOMO where in--Albedo sat on his makeshift throne, holding the pink-haired Realian in his arms. "They're earlier than I expected,'' he said. He ran his hand across MOMO's cheek and face then moved his hand to her chest, pressing down on it. His hand went through her chest as she whimpered. "I think I'll have a look around…for that key that sleeps inside you." A white light appeared around the area where his hand was inside MOMO's chest. She whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "Nooo…stop it… Get out…out of…my body…" She reflected back when Jr. gave her the bracelet.

"Jr.… Ziggy… I'm…scared…"

Shane grunted from her laying position, her gold eyes dim from the shock Albedo had given her. ''No, stop it...you're...hurting her, you sick perverted bastard!'' 

* * *

On the bridge of the Durandal, the group all stared at the pyramid-shaped station known as the Song of Nephilim. Gaignun narrowed his green eyes. "I knew it,'' he said under his breath. Jr. gripped his fists as they shook. "It's exactly the same… Nothing's changed at all." Shion stepped forwardm as she looked at the monitor with everyone else. "So that's…the Song of Nephilim… Dr. Mizrahi's… Miltia's…"

_Help me…Jr.… _He jerked his head up when he heard her soft but weakened voice. "MOMO… MOMO's inside that thing!" He yelled, getting everyone's attention. ''And Shane...she's in there, too! I felt her subconcious!'' Ziggy looked at him with concern. "Are you certain?" Mary turned to the 100-Series Realians below her and yelled, "Scanners!" One of the Realians looked at her monitor, typing away at the keys. "100-Series Observational Unit prototype MOMO and Shane Lee tracked and located! They're in the middle of the distortion caused by the phase transfer."

"MOMO and Shane… What are they doing in there…?"

Jr. slammed his hands down on the main console angrily. "Damn it! It's him…Albedo! I felt his presence…the moment I heard MOMO's voice…" Gaignun looked down at the red-head who's face was turning redder than his hair in anger. "Ah…Albedo. That explains what that unsettling feeling was about. Not to mention why they're there."

"What do you mean?" The blonde cyborg asked him.

"Those girls, MOMO and Shane…not only is MOMO a specialized Realian, but also the repository for the late Joachim Mizrahi's records. Albedo and the U-TIC Organization want that information. They wanted it for a long time…and Shane is a special young woman...I believe they're after her, too." Allen looked at the dark-haired man with confusion on his face. "Albedo? Who's that?"

"My dark half…the part I've tried to hide away,'' Jr. said in a low voice. "Dark half?" Ziggy turned and started walking to the elevator. "Jr., get this ship closer to the Song of Nephilim,'' he said. The brown-haired man turned to the man only to hold his head in panic. "Whaat!" 

"It isn't necessary to get too close. Just lend me a shuttle; that'll be enough." The red-haired boy ran by Ziggy, standing in his way of the elevator. "Hold it! Where do you think you're going? I'm going to save MOMO (might as well save Shane too)… No matter what!" The blonde cyborg shook his head. "Don't bother,'' he told him.

Jr.'s blue eyes flared up in anger. "What did you say!" He yelled. "When someone close to you is in danger, you lose your objectivity. And it almost always ends in tragedy. I've…seen it happen too often." "Oh, what, so I'm just like them now!" Ziggy looked at him, narrowing his eyes. "Aren't you? This Albedo person… When you finally confront him, do you think you can keep your head straight?" he asked. The red-head turned his head away, a frustrated look on his face. The blonde cyborg looked down at his head. "If you honestly say yes, that's all I have to say. But if you can't…" 

Jr. shook his head, chuckling some under his breath and looked up at the older man. "You're really something, you know that?" He said. "You think you're such a hardened soldier compared to me. Tell me then…how can I become cold and detached like you?" 

"Only allow yourself to think of numbers and battle strategy. Don't let your mind wander to the faces or voices of those precious to you…even when it seems cruel not to. Too intense of an interference will overwhelm and ruin everything. That's what I've learned over these past hundred years," Ziggy told him. "The day numbers and battle strategies replace people…it'll be game over, cyborg." The blonde cyborg placed his mechanical hand on his thick red hair. "Jr.… Remember to stay focused, no matter what he does to MOMO. Only by doing so will you be able to save her. Listen to my advice. I know what you're going through." 

* * *

Later, the group prepared themselves to head out to the Song of Nephilim. Both MOMO and Shane were there, held capitive against their will by a man only known by Jr. and Gaignun as Albedo. They knew where to go but...

No transportation.

"The Foundation has its hands full dealing with the waves of Gnosis. We cannot move from our current location,'' Gaignun explained. "We'll need a ship with sufficient mobility in order to get past the Gnosis and dock with the Song of Nephilim." Jr. folded his arms, looking up at the ceiling of the bridge. "The Durandal's landing shuttle won't do. How about the Elsa? Is it operational?" He looked at Shelley who nodded at him. 

"Yes. I checked its status just now, and fortunately, it seems to be unharmed. Shall we relay a message to Captain Matthews?" She asked. Jr. nodded as he cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, go ahead. Damn, that feeling I got from him…that bastard was trying to access MOMO's subconscious. And Shane...it felt like she wasn't even there. We don't have time! Let's go old man! chaos!"

"Wait, Jr., let us help too!" Shion said. The red-head turned to her, his face in a look of both anger and worry. "Don't be ridiculous! You gave any idea what kind of place that is! Do you know what that lunatic is like!" She held her hand to her chest. "Please! Let us go with you,'' she said in a worried tone. "Shion…" She didn't answer him but looked at him, standing her ground at her decision. Jr. sighed then nodded, looking at her. "All right. But you better not let your guard down, even for a second,'' he told her. "There's no room for mistakes in there, got it?"

"Yes."

The group boarded the Elsa as Shion talked with Captain Matthews. She held her hands up in an apoligetic manner. ''Captain, we have to go to the Song of Nephilim to rescue Shane and MOMO. If we don't...'' He nodded as he straightened his red cap. ''Ah, alright...Just so you know, I don't intend to leave the Song of Nephilim until we've rescued MOMO and Bandage Girl. You better get ready!"

"Don't worry, we're all set to go." He nodded then rubbed the back of his head in a nervous motion. "Man, I can't believe I'm stuck doing this. You better fork over a lot of hazard pay!" The Elsa--with Shion and the others onboard--immediatly took off and flew to the Song of Nephilim, the war between the gnosis continuing. In the cargo ship, Hammer typed at his console as he studied the outside layout of the station. ''Captain! There's an opening to the side where we can dock!" The navigator said looking back at the man behind him. 

"All right! Bring us in, Tony. Be careful."

The blonde haired pilot nodded then began to move closer to the opening. "Roger! Closing in and approaching the…" 

"Wait!" Shion cried out. ''Huh?'' He looked back at her along with everyone else. She bit her lip and said, "Tony, can you show me the top…?" Tony continued to look at her then shook his head. "What? You want me to go around the top?" She nodded hurriedly. "Please, just circle around the top!" He looked at the window in front of him, thinking about it then looked back at her. "All right,'' Tony told her, "But once around is all you're getting. Who knows what's up there?"

"Thank you." The Elsa flew around the top portion of the Song of Nephilim, making sure that it kept its distance from the gnosis nearby. Shion looked at the top of the station as she reflected back to the past when she saw when she was little, seeing the area identical to the Song of Nephilim. "That's it… That's… …the place I saw through the hospital window…" After the group saw the top section, the cargo ship immediately docked at the entrance to the Song of Nephilim and entered. Inside, everyone felt the cold chill as they walked down the dimly lit corridor. ''Brr...this place is cold,'' Shion said to herself. She held her arms then saw MOMO at the end of the corriodor, unconscious. She watched Jr. rush past her as he ran over to the pink-haired Realian. He knelt down next to her and picked her up in his arms.

"MOMO! MOMO! MOMO! MOMO! You all right?'' He said shaking her lightly. She opened her golden eyes to look into his blue irises but she didn't speak. The red head's face went completely white when she just looked at him. "Don't tell me…we're too late…?" He growled lowly. "Damn…that bastard! He's taken her consciousness! I'm gonna make him pay for this! Hold on, MOMO! I'll make you whole again!"

"Jr.! What happened to MOMO?" Shion asked, worried. He looked up at the brown-haired woman then growled lowly. "That monster Albedo's gone and reversed the spiritual link…"

"Reversed the spiritual link?"

Jr. nodded some. "It's the opposite of what Gaignun and I do when we communicate telepathically,'' he explained, "But by seizing someone's consciousness, you can delve inside the other person's mind and drag out whatever memories you feel like taking."

Shion gasped as she covered her mouth. "You can't be serious! That means MOMO's mind is…" He looked at her and nodded slowly. "Yeah… It's best for you all to go back. I'll handle this on my own.'' He started to walk away from the group but chaos stepped forward. "Wait! It's too dangerous to go alone!" the white-haired boy told him. Jr. stopped after hearing chaos' voice. He looked down as he gripped his fists tightly. "Sorry. This is between me and him… All right?"

"But still…" He felt a hand on his jacket sleeve and looked over his shoulder to see MOMO. She still had the blank look on her face. "MOMO…" The red-head placed a hand on hers. "You…wanna come with me?" She nodded. "I'm going, too,'' Shion said. She walked over to him and placed her hands on her hips. 

"Shion…"

"Don't you remember what you told me? This song…it's responsible for destroying Miltia and bringing the Gnosis into this world… If this has anything to do with that place that I know of, then…this involves me as well…" He looked at her then looked at MOMO, nodding some. ''Alright then. We better get moving and find Shane, too.'' The group all nodded in agreement and moved on to the three towers that awaited them.

The group made it through the first tower while evading the robots and gnosis that lurked inside. In the second tower, they fought against a ''security guard'' monster named Rianon SE. A few minutes passed and they defeated the monster, moving onward to the third tower. Eventually, the group arrived at the lower area. MOMO stopped walking as Shion looked back at her. ''MOMO?'' The pink-haired girl looked at the brown-haired woman. "Umm… I am not feeling well, so please exclude me from the battle members. Thank you."

"MOMO, are you okay?"

MOMO nodded slowly. "Yes…" The group walked further ahead and stood in front of a large door. Jr. gripped his fists tightly as he and chaos pushed the heavy doors open. Inside, the group looked at the white-haired psycho on his makeshift throne. Shion looked at him then glanced towards her left to see Shane lying on her side, her blank eyes reflecting off the blade in front of her.

''Shane!'' Both Ziggy and Shion walked over to the silver-haired girl, turning her over on her back. The brown-haired woman felt for a pulse. She found it and sighed in relief. She looked to the blonde cyborg, smiling some. ''She's okay...'' The red-head growled lowly and glared at him with seething hate. "Albedo… YOUUU…" In his arms, he held the pink-haired girl in his arms who was unconscious. 

**"**Please spare me from any trite lines like, "You're still alive?" '' He said coldly. "Life and death are merely empty words lacking any power over me. By the way…did you ever bother telling the girl? Does she know that we're monsters, both you and I?" 

''..Shion...'' Shane said softly. The woman looked at her as she used Ziggy's arm to sit herself up. ''Yes, what is it?'' She gritted her teeth, holding her stomach. ''...That MOMO with you...that's not..that's not her!'' Jr. gasped when he saw the real MOMO being held by Albedo. ''MOMO!" He cried out. The red-head felt small hands go around his neck and squeezed tightly, making him gag lightly. 

"I want the me that's inside you… "

The MOMO that held the red-head by his neck soon changed into one of Albedo's silver-haired Kirschwasser. The group gasped as they watched her transformation. 

"M...MOMO...!''

''That's not her,'' Ziggy pointed out and helped Shane to her feet. ''That's...'' The white-haired man let out a sinister but insane laugh. ''Free from the bonds of flesh...a pure consciousness has no true form,'' He said grinning from ear to ear. ''All that exists is the longing for reality.''

Jr. let out an angered growl, a crimson aura forming around him as he gripped his fists tightly. "Get off me!" He screamed, emitting flames from his small frame. The blast freed him from the 99-Series Realian's strangling and knocked her back into the wall. In the white-haired psycho's arms, MOMO responded a little. He looked down at her. "Did you see that, ma pêche…? You're witness to his true nature right now…a consciousness desperately struggling to stay alive,'' he told her. ''Such a pitiful sight. This is unseemly, Rubedo."

"Jr.…" MOMO said in a soft but weakened voice. The group watched as Albedo began to absorb more of the girl's power. The red-head let out a ferocious growl, reaching into his jacket pocket. "Albedo! Get your stinkin' hands off of her!" He drew his gun at him. "Or else I'll…" Albedo looked at Jr. questionably then grinned. "Hmm? You'll do something…if I…do this?" He made MOMO cry out in pain, continuing to absorb her powers. 

"You motherfucker…!" The angry red-head fired his gun at the white-haired psycho's arm off. It fell to the floor behind him as it disappeared. Albedo held up the stump which was his arm, the red-violet aura appearing and forming his new arm. He began to laugh. "What pain…so sweet…so alive! Pain is such a vital part of realizing one's existence,'' he said looking at Jr. with crazed eyes. "Try to remember, Rubedo. What it takes…what you must do… Or…have you lived in peace for so long that you've completely forgotten?"

"I don't give a damn about what you have to say! Just give her back!"

"I don't think so… I'll just take what I want to proceed with my plans… And along the way, I'll make you remember…who you really are…" Albedo said as he continued to absorb MOMO. Jr. growled lowly as he readied his gun for another strike. "Shut up! I don't need some freak contaminated by U-DO to tell me…" 

"Jr.…!" Shion cried out.

Albedo chuckled coldly. "Contaminated? Not quite. More like…evolved. I experienced but a fragment of my true power that day. The waves that inundated my body are now a part of me! I've reached a higher stage of existence compared to you incomplete mortals." His hand went further into MOMO's chest as he looked at the group. "I am the alpha and the omega of perfect consciousness!"

Jr. began to shake, his eyes turning from a look of anger to a look of fear. "S…Stop it…" Shane held her side, letting Ziggy hold her up. ''Knock it off, you perverted bastard!''

"Mmm…Ah, this is nice… Don't you want to give it a try?"

"MOMO!" The red-head fired two more rounds at the white-haired psycho, hitting both his right arm and head. The body parts disappeared then reappeared with the same red-violet aura. The blonde cyborg watched this display of horror and asked aloud, "Impossible… Is that nanotechnology…?" Shion shook her head, looking at the display as well. "No. Nanomachines can't work anywhere near that fast, and besides,'' she said, "Not even the research laboratories have models with head-regenerating capabilities yet."

"He's a U.R.T.V. Just like Jr.…"

Chapter 22: End.


	23. Revelation

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Revelation**

_(A/N: Takes up right after the ending of Chapter 22. Read that whole chapter if you're lost.)_

**"**What?'' Shion and the rest of the group looked to chaos who continued his explaination. "U.R.T.V.s… They were created for the express purpose of eradicating U-DO."

"U-DO…?" The brown-haired woman echoed. ''That red...thing we saw in the Encephalon illusion,'' Shane said. She looked at the white-haired psycho, narrowing her eyes. Albedo looked at Jr. as he narrowed his violet eyes, a dark look coming over his face. "Rubedo… You still don't remember? Or could it be…fear… You're frightened, is that it? Am I right?" he asked coldly. "I can't blame you. The only thing that matters to you is yourself. Rubedo…so cruel… And yet this girl clings to you so dearly. Isn't it pitiful?"

The bracelet Jr. had given to MOMO suddenly dropped to the floor from her hands as the white-haired psycho continued to absorb her power. "One more layer. Just one more layer, and then I'll have everything inside of her. I'm sure you know what that means, Rubedo. Now then, I wonder how much more she can take?" MOMO cried out in both pain and fear. Shane felt her eyes tear up and screamed with Jr.--in rage--watching the display of pain. 

"_Noooooo!_" 

The red-head activated a powerful blast from his body as the area turned completely bright. Immediatly, a blast of flames surged towards Albedo and knocked him in midair, hitting the wall with a sickening thud. He fell to the ground, MOMO freed from his grasp. Shion and the weakened Shane ran over to the pink-haired Realian. 

''MOMO!''

''MOMO, are you okay!'' Shane looked up to see the white-haired psycho get up and laughed maniacally, covering his right eye. "I see… It all makes sense now,'' he said looking at Shane and Shion then at KOS-MOS. The group looked up to above him to see his white A.G.W.S come down from the ceiling, hovering above them. Albedo jumped on top of it then grinned at the group. "Come on… Our time has arrived!" After the group defeated the white A.G.W.S, Simeon, the machine shutting down as Albedo got out of the machine. He looked at the group then placed his hands on his hips. A wide grin was on his face. "Ah, Rubedo. You're getting closer to your old self. But you're still not quite there yet. You were much stronger than this back then, weren't you?" He held out his hands as dark flames began to appear from his body. "Damn you, Albedo! Don't get cocky!" Jr. activated his red flames from his body. The two U.R.T.V.s sent the colored flames at one another as they hit each other, neither passing any further. The red-head began to shout maniacally. 

"What's wrong, Rubedo? You can do better than this,'' the white-haired psycho taunted. "Come on, show me what you've got." "Jr. no! Don't do it!" chaos yelled. "Don't play into his hand…or you'll…"

MOMO looked up at the display of power the two U.R.T.V.s had. "Jr.…?" She looked up at the Kirschwasser who seemed inoperative. The dark-skinned girl moved her hand, taking MOMO's hand into hers. "Daddy," she said sadly. "It was always you he looked at… The rest…of…us… We all…wished…we could be…you…" The pink-haired girl felt the girl's life functions slip away. "That can't be true… We're all… We're all supposed to be the same…" She stood up, looking at Jr. and Albedo. "Come on, Rubedo! Just a little more! Just a little more and your dreams'll be fulfilled! Come on, come on, come on!" The flames surrounding the red-head became more aggressive.

"Jr.!" Everyone watched as the flames suddenly decrease in size. ''Who...?'' Shane looked over to see MOMO standing in the middle of the flames, holding them back. "What's happening! MOMO…?"

"MOMO…"

The pink haired girl looked to Albedo, white light eminating from her small hands. "You've…taken so much from me. But…I… I was given a part of you too,'' she said gathering her courage to speak. "A part of you is now within me! So, now…!" He looked at her then began to laugh. "So, now…? So, that's why you're doing that?"

"Why do you hurt everyone? My sisters, they all loved something they saw in you. Even after all that you put them through, they still believed in you. How…how can you desecrate their feelings – their hearts!" The white-haired man laughed maniacally as he said, "Desecrate? Your sisters? Look around you." He nodded up above him for everyone to see the corpses of the Kirschwassers from before. "Who's the flower that blooms from those corpses? That's right… It's you…pêche. Everything is just as Mizrahi – your dear Daddy – wanted it to be."

"Daddy…?"

"That's right. Isn't it, Rubedo?"

''Dude, shut the fuck up!" Shane screamed.

"You bastard,'' Jr. growled angrily. "Say any more and you're… You're gonna…"

"…pay for this!" Shion said finishing the red-head's sentence. "Those girls weren't toys for your enjoyment! They were all individuals with will of their own! Yet you…" She gripped her fists tightly, making them shake. 

"Still spouting that self-righteous crap?" A man's voice echoed through the room. "Huh?" Everyone looked up at a bright light appearing from the ceiling. Inside the light, everyone could barely make out the silloutte of a man floating in midair above them. "The new guy?" Albedo murmered as the light disappeared. A blue hooded man floated above everyone, his face hidden by a mask. "Stop screwing around. Hurry up and get the job done,'' he said. "Don't waste your time on these fools." The white-haired man jumped away from Jr. and MOMO as his A.G.W.S Simeon came down. He jumped on the head then pointed at the red-head. "Give him this message: It belongs to me!" 

"Hold it!" Jr. ran at the white machine only to get knocked back by the hooded man's force field. ''Jr.! Are you okay?'' MOMO cried out as she ran over to him. Shane looked at the dazed boy then back at the hooded man above. "Where do you think you're going? Hey, why don't you do me a favor and let him go for now. I'll do my best to keep you entertained in the meantime."

Chapter Twenty-Three: End _(Short chapter...;. R&R)_


	24. Calm Before The Storm

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Calm Before The Storm**

_(A/N: Sorry if the chapters seem like it's going from short to long, long to short. So...forgive me. I don't own Xenosaga, but Shane belongs to me. ME!!)_

The white A.G.W.S Simeon flew away to the outside of the station known as the Song of Nephilim. Inside, the white-haired U.R.T.V Albedo had his eyes closed, obviously thinking of something. A small grin came onto his face. He opened his blank eyes to see a bright light shaped like an oval with people inside of it. Then, a big round area appeared in the oval.

_So this is the Y-Data... _

_I do not exist for your pleasure..._

He saw the blue-haired android KOS-MOS appear in front of him with her face guard over her red eyes and her arms spread out in an protective motion. He chuckled dryly. _You call this protection? _He thought as KOS-MOS disappeared. His eyes widened to see both Shion and Shane naked and holding each other. The silver-haired girl's eyes opened to show her eyes were black.

_Wha...?! You...!!_

The white-haired man gasped, breaking out of his trance and chuckled to himself. He held his head and looked at the emptyness of space in front of him. He was back inside his machine. "He really didn't want anyone going in there… Oh, well…that just makes it all the more interesting!" He let out an insane laugh. ''Very interesting...''

* * *

Back in the Song of Nephilim, the group looked at the hooded man who had his arms folded across his chest. Shion stepped forward then narrowed her eyes questionly. "Who...are you?'' She asked. The hooded man shook his head at her. "Who? What does it matter? Or…do you need a name to describe me? A definition by words is merely a means to deceive oneself. It's meaningless before the truth,'' he said. "What matters is how you perceive things. The slightest shift, then life and death no longer have any meaning."

"Huh…?"

''Uh, you have to excuse Shion, sir. She's kinda slow about certain things...'' Shane said only to have a cold glare shot back at her by the said woman. "You don't get it?" Jr. got up slowly as he shook off the pain from the shock of the force field he had hit. "Well, how about I show you…" The hooded man looked over to see the red-head glaring at him.

"Get out of the way…"

"Hm?"

Jr. growled angrily then yelled, "I said, get outta my way!!" The man grinned from under his mask hidden from everyone's view. "Ah…you've got guts, boy. Why don't you make me move? Shouldn't be a problem for a U.R.T.V., now should it?"

"You're damn right!" Everyone watched the hooded man transform into an hideous monster named Ein Rugel. Shane stepped away from Ziggy and grabbed her sword. ''...Shane.'' She looked back at him. ''I'm fine,'' she told him. Even though...I know something's definitely wrong with me...I can't even hear Rukia's voice..

After Shion and the others defeated both Ein Rugel and Doppelwogel, a mist surrounded the area and then disappeared. The hooded man landed down in front of them, keeping his arms folded. "It's useless. The laws by which we are governed are just too different. Isn't that right, boss?" He said looking up at the ceiling. The group said nothing. "Well, then… I think our friend has already left. And it's about time for me to make my exit. I have a busy schedule to keep…"

"Wait! What are you trying to accomplish?! Why did you come here?"

"You wanna know? Then come to that time, to that place… You know what I mean…" He looked over at Shane who tensed up and narrowed her eyes. "Huh?" The hooded man chuckled as he began to vanish. "I'll be waiting for you, Shion,'' he said and disappeared. KOS-MOS looked around the area with her red irises. "The Song of Nephilim has ceased all functions. The Rhine Maiden is clearing away the remaining Gnosis,'' she told everyone.

"I see…" The brown-haired woman looked to Jr. "Jr., are you all right?"

The red-head nodded slowly and held his head. "Y-yeah,'' he said in a shaky voice. "…And you guys? Man…who was that? He has an aura of incredible power…"

"I don't know… I don't…understand any of this…" She looked over to Shane who had picked up her gun on the floor, checking to see if it was still loaded. She narrowed her eyes then turned her head away when the silver-haired girl looked in her direction. "Let's go back, Shion,'' chaos told her.

"Yeah…''

* * *

After returning to the Durandal via the Elsa, Shion, MOMO, and Shane appeared on the bridge after taking the elevator up. ''...Shane.'' The silver-haired girl looked to Shion then looked away. ''Shion, I have some stuff to explain to ya and--'' The woman placed her hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. ''That can all wait. When we get to Second Miltia, we can talk.'' Shane looked at her as she nodded some. ''Yeah...if I'm still 'here', that is.''

''Huh?''

''Ah, it's nothing!'' Shion looked at the girl then walked over to the rest of the group. Jr. was standing with MOMO who hand her hand in his. "Are you okay?" he asked her. She nodded slowly. "Yes… That man, he said he was searching for the key inside me… He…probably…" She began to shake then calmed down when the red-head placed his hand on the left side of her face. "It's all right. It's not your fault." She looked down, seeing the bracelet Jr. had given her. ''Oh, this charm! Maybe I have this to thank for my safe return,'' she told him, smiling some.

Shelley turned to look at the pink-haired Realian with a somber look on her face. "Main cannon ready to fire. Target: Song of Nephilim." chaos turned to her. "You sure about this?'' He asked.

MOMO looked to Shane who nodded slowly. "Yes… Please…for their sake."

"chaos, do you think this'll put the Kirschwassers to rest?" Jr. asked the white-haired boy. "Well… Their thoughts and feelings now exist within MOMO. Their wish…finally came true…" The red-head looked down at the floor, gripping his fists. "…I hope so. Maybe…that's…what Albedo wanted…"

"Jr.…" The silver-haired girl placed a hand on his head, looking to the side as he began to shake his head. "It's… It's because I couldn't…"

"Little Master!" Shelley said looking at her young superior. He looked up at her and nodded. "Yeah, go ahead." He looked up at Shane then turned red, slapping her hand off his head. Outside in space, the Kukai Foundation fired a bunch of lasers at the Song of Nephilim, its aim precise and perfect. Suddenly, the lasers reflected off of the station, making everyone inside the Durandal gasp in shock. "Wha?!"

"Wait! Something's wrong… It's…" The remaining gnosis were flying/swimming away but they were pulled into the Song of Nephilim. "…The Gnosis! The remaining Gnosis…they're being…?!" A beeping noise came from Shelley's console as Albedo's face came onto the communication monitor. He had a wide grin on his face, laughing maniacally. "I wanted to have more fun, so I came back for a visit."

"Albedo… I swear I'm gonna…!"

''I'll kick your perverted ass when I get my hands on you!'' Shane yelled. The white-haired psycho chuckled to himself. "Now now, cool your jets. Hold off on the emotional outburst until you see my entire performance…"

_**Chapter Twenty-Four: End**_

* * *

**A/N: At the beginning of the chapter where Albedo looks at the Y-Data and sees KOS-MOS, Shion and Shane...just so you know, Shane is NOT GAY. Thank you and continue to read, please. **


	25. Burning Heat

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Burning Heat **

Outside in outer space, the white A.G.W.S Simeon emitted a burst of yellow flames which shook the Kukai Foundation, making everyone on the Durandal cry out in surprise. "W…What's going on?!" Mary cried as she struggled to get back onto her feet. Shane--who had fallen back on her backside--gritted her teeth. ''That. Hurt.'' Everyone watched on the monitors as a large area began to appear outside.

''What is that…?!"

"Proto…Merkabah,'' MOMO said softly seeing a circular ship appear from the large area. Shion looked at the pink-haired girl. "Proto Merkabah?" She nodded slowly. "The place where…I was born…"

* * *

Outside in outer space, a purple A.G.W.S appeared with the hooded man standing on the outside of the machine. "That bastard!" He said angrily. "Summoning needless toys… You forgotten you duties, haven't you…"

"Never mind that. Come back, Virgil,'' an unknown voice said in the back of the man's mind. He took off his hood to reveal himself of the slain soldier Luis Virgil. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, looking to the side. "What's your problem? I don't take orders from you. And stop talking inside my head like that! I'm not used to it yet!"

"I'm afraid you'll need to get used to it."

"That's…" The images of KOS-MOS, Shion, and Shane appeared around Virgil. Even though he had just met the 17-year-old today, he knew she was otherworldly. "So that's quite what this is all about… You're quite the cunning little bastard… All right, then… But next time, I'm doing things…my way,'' he told the voice.

"…That's what's intended." That said, the purple ship and Virgil vanished.

* * *

"Did you say...this is where you were born?'' Jr. asked MOMO as everyone watched from the Durandal the Song of Nephilim being inserted to Proto Merkabah. Yes. Daddy gathered together the data he needed to create me on Miltia, and then he sent it to Proto Merkabah.'' The red-head looked at her. "Are you saying that thing was built for the purpose of creating you?"

* * *

On Fifth Jerusalem, the Subcommittee watched the spectacle on a large IMAX-like screen. "That wasn't its original purpose,'' Juli Mizrahi said. "It was created to discover the true form of the universe… …the form we ourselves were meant to have. But then he took it, and…" She had trailed off. "Exactly. Just think for a moment about all the phenomena brought about by that lunatic. If that thing, the Song, and the Zohar all link together…"

"That's exactly why we dropped it into the Abyss after we recovered the 100-Series!'' A man said. "How is it that it has returned again?"

Juli shook her head slowly. "I don't know. But the Original is still on Miltia. With only Proto Merkabah, he can't…"

* * *

Back in Miltia star space, everyone on the Durandal watched Proto Merkabah tilting sideways and fired a red beam at the Federation fleet. Instantly, all of them were destroyed. MOMO covered her face with her hand. "The Federation fleet…"

"Just like that…" Shane felt herself tense up from the power that the large station had. _All those people... _Albedo let out another manical laugh. "Well, Rubedo? Kirschwasser Shane? What do you think of my new toy? And that was using the minute amount of energy remaining in this thing! Just a mere fraction of what it's capable of. Icing on the cake, if you will,'' he told them. The station fired grappling lasers which grabbed ahold of the remaining Gnosis, pulling them inside.

"That light… It's just like when KOS-MOS…" Shion remembered when the Elsa was being chased by gnosis and KOS-MOS had fired a blue beam from her abdomen, which vaporized and sucked in the remains of the monsters. "Originally, this thing, the Song of Nephilim, and the Zohar were a single apparatus,'' the white-haired psycho explained. "The Gnosis which seek the Zohar are responding to the faint waves that emanate from the sealed off Miltia. This thing uses the Gnosis as a medium to collect the waves from the Zohar, and store the energy it needs in order to operate."

Jr. stepped forward, a confused look on his face. "How the hell do you know all that?!" He chuckled softly then pointed at MOMO who had walked over and held Shane's hand. "It was ma pêche. When I linked with her consciousness, I learned how to use this thing." chaos placed both hands on the pink-haired girl's shoulders. She narrowed her eyes, unhappy of what Albedo had said. The silver-haired girl felt her grip tighten on her hand.

"I'm really quite grateful."

* * *

At the end of Proto Merkabah, an open area could be seen as it charged its beam. "Let's see then…I wonder how long it'll take to charge? Five minutes? Or perhaps ten?" The white-haired psycho looked at everyone on the Durandal and laughed. "You look a little pale there… Scared, are you? Perhaps I should just turn you all to pillars of salt…that's not a bad idea…red will become white…" He let out an maniacal laugh. "Don't mock us, you bastard!" The red-head yellled.

"Hmm…so, what to do… All right. I know! My next target will be…" Proto Merkabah moved slowly as it aims at Second Miltia. One of the 100-Series gasped then looked back everyone on the upper platform. "The weapon is retargeting! It's aiming straight for the capital of Second Miltia!"

Shion's face became pale. "What did you say…?!" Albedo chuckled. "Exactly. Those 100-Series are sharp, aren't they?"

"I won't let you do this! Listen to me, Albedo! You stay right where you are! It's time for you and me to settle this!" The white-haired psycho laughed. "Oh please, that's not like you at all. You don't really give a damn about others, do you?"

"Whaaat?!" Jr. yelled. "Well, fine… Stop me if you can…" He let out a final maniacal laugh. "I'll be waiting!" The screen went blank as he broke contact. "Damn it…"

* * *

"The target is a giant experimental facility that was long abandoned before its completion. A network of tunnels runs through the facility, and the reactor core is located at the nexus where they all meet,'' Juli Mizrahi explained on the communication monitor of the Durandal.

"All we have to do is take out that reactor, right?" Jr. asked. The brown-haired woman nodded. "Correct. That'll shut down Proto Merkabah completely. The data I sent to you earlier includes a map of the most direct route to the core. Right now, you are our only hope. I ask on behalf of the Federation government, and as a member of the human race, to destroy that abominable machine. Once and for all…" MOMO looked up at the screen longingly.

"Mommy…" She looked away as her mother broke contact. Shane placed a hand on her shoulder gently. ''It'll be okay. Your mom's gotta notice you exist sooner or later, yeah?'' MOMO nodded slightly as the rest of the group walked to the elevator.

''Hey, MOMO! Shane! We gotta get to the Elsa!'' Jr. yelled to the two. Shane nodded and took MOMO's hand into hers. ''I won't let go. I'm your _onee-chan_, okay?'' MOMO smiled, nodding. ''Okay, big sister.''

* * *

At the Elsa, everyone readied themselves--stocking up on first aid items, weapon upgrades, and reloaded some of their weapons. ''...Oi, _Little Master_.'' Jr. flinched, looking at Shane. ''Gimme two loads of your .9MM bullets, yeah?'' He looked at her then rubbed his eyes some. Shane blinked her eyes as she looked at him.

''Something wrong?''

''Uh, no...it's nothing.'' The red-head handed her two of his reloads then watched her reload her two pistols. _Shane...why is it you look so damn familiar...? _Captain Matthews looked back at Shion. "We're ready to go anytime. I could take you to the Proto Merkabah right now if you want,'' he told her. She nodded at him then looked to everyone else. ''Everyone ready?'' The group raised their heads and nodded.

''Shane, shouldn't you be resting?'' The silver-haired girl shook her head. ''Hells no,'' she told Shion. ''I need to get my lick back after what Albedo did to me and MOMO-chan.'' The brown-haired woman nodded some then turned to the captain. "Go to Proto Merkabah." He nodded. "Tony! We're launching the Elsa. Hurry up!"

The group all gathered at the bridge, looking at their destination. Jr. turned to Shion with a embarassed but worried look on his face. "Sorry. I didn't mean for you to get pulled into my personal issues…" She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. After all, my homeland is in peril. And we've received company approval. So it's okay, right Allen?"

"…Oh, sure, why would I want to miss out on the fun? Besides, it's not like you ever listen to me…"

''...Bad move, Romeo..''

"What was that? If you've got something to say, say it,'' she said sounding a little mad. He jumped then shook his head and held his hands up in front of him. "Ah, no! Nothing! I'd accompany you to the very depths of hell!" Captain Matthews turned his head to look at him. "Hey, what are you trying to do, jinx us?!" Allen lowered his head in defeat as Shane patted his shoulder. He then looked to MOMO "…So, getting in won't be difficult, right?"

"Right,'' the pink-haired Realian told him. "There should be no external anti-air defenses, since it was originally constructed as a manufacturing facility. However, security on the inside is most likely still functional. We should be prepared to deal with many active guard machines." Jr. turned to Mary on the communication monitor. "Mary! What about the reinforcements from Second Miltia?"

"The space bound units were destroyed in the first blast,'' she said. The red-head sighed, folding his arms. "In other words, it's up to us."

"Looks like it." Jr. looked at Gaignun on the communication monitor. "Gaignun… I'm counting on you to cover us…until we get inside." He nodded slowly then narrowed his green eyes. "I have a request of my own as well. Don't let his provocations get to you again. All right?" the dark-haired man asked. "Yeah, I'll be careful. You don't have to worry."

"I'll take that as a promise." Mary waved at him from the monitor. "Now, don't do anything foolish, Little Master,'' she said cheerfully. The red-head blushed then looked away. ''Yeah, fine...''

"ECM levels at maximum. Elsa, you have clearance,'' Shelley told the Elsa crew. "Got it. Tony!"

"Aye, sir! We're getting hazard pay for this, right?" Tony asked. ''We better!''

* * *

In the first area of Proto Merkabah, the group noticed consoles with words and holograms of different timelines. ''Hey, what is this?'' Shane asked as she walked over to a console. "It looks like some kind of data." Shion looked at the data then noticed it looked familiar. "A Realian? But it's pretty old. The year T.C. 4474 made by Tyrrell, Lamech Model 3,'' she said.

"Lamech Model 3… That's the model that was manufactured up until a year before the Miltian Conflict."

"The production year and manufacturer all differ, but they are all older than 4752,'' Ziggy said as he took notice of the other data. "It seems all of these Realians were transferred to the Miltia maintenance facility due to some kind of abnormality."

''Like a virus, yeah?'' chaos nodded. ''Mmhm.'' "But why is that data here? What is all of this data for?" Shion looked to MOMO. "MOMO, did Dr. Mizrahi ever tell you anything?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head 'no.' "No, Mommy…never…"

"I see…" The group moved onward to the second area, seeing more data. chaos looked at the data console. "This one's a list a sick and wounded soldiers. Looks like it's from during the Miltian Conflict." "They were transferred to Miltia for treatment, just like those Realians we saw earlier. An odd coincidence,'' Ziggy said.

"Those don't look like ordinary wounds. They're only fragments of the data left, but it looks like something more serious, like mental illness,'' Shion said looking through the data. "You can tell all that from these fragments?"

She nodded. "Yes. The list of medications here are all ones used to treat psychological disorders."

"I see. I guess there's no reason why you're a chief engineer at Vector,'' Jr. said.

"…" He looked at her questionably. ''What? Did I say something weird?''

"What?'' She shook her head some. ''No, it's nothing...'' Shane smacked the back of Jr.'s head as he held his head, looking at her like she was insane.

''Bitch,'' he called her.

''Brat,'' she said standing over him.

* * *

In the third area of Proto Merkabah, the group saw more data. ''Geez, there's more?'' Shane said as she leaned against the wall. ''No, it's a monitoring room for all of Proto Merkabah.'' Ziggy walked over to one of the consoles and looked to Shion. "It seems all the controls are centralized here. Can you locate the reactor core?" She nodded, looking into the console. "It seems to be far below where we are. It looks like we'll have to take several elevator shafts down to get there,'' she told everyone.

"Looks like we still have ways to go. Let's hurry, Shion."

"Yes." The group moved onward to the next area, fighting against Proto Dora and 2 Schutz, defeating them in the process. In the next area, the group saw even more data. Images of the outside could be seen on the console screens. "What an amazing hologram,'' MOMO said as she looked at the image. "All observable space appears to be projected here.''

"All observable space…" Shion looked at an area of the hologram, noticing something out of place. "I wonder what that black area is? It doesn't look like a black hole." "Guess it's not quite all observable space,'' Jr. said folding his arms. chaos looked at the black area, his eyes dimming slightly. "Lost Jerusalem…"

"What?"

"Lost Jerusalem was once our homeland in the distant past, but no one can go near it now,'' the white-haired boy explained. "Actually, nobody knows its location anymore. It could be that pitch black part there." "I've heard that the government has been working on a project to find Lost Jerusalem for quite some time. …It looks like the radius of that black region is at least several hundred million light years,'' Jr. said.

The brown-haired woman and Shane looked at the black area identified as Lost Jerusalem. "Our homeland is somewhere in there…" _Home...

* * *

_

In the next area, the group made their way into a room that had a computer on the far end of the room, capsules filled with what looked like blue water, and a large capsule in the center with wires coming out of the bottom. MOMO looked up at the capsule as she held her hands together. "This…is the room where I was born,'' she said softly. Shion looked at her surprised. "What? This is where you were…?" The pink-haired Realian hurriedly walked out of the room, her face in her small hands. ''MOMO-chan!'' Shane followed after her with Shion following behind her. ''MOMO...'' The Realian sat down on the floor as she looked at the wall, a saddened look on her face. "Mommy never told me what this facility actually was responsible for during the Miltian Conflict…" She thought back when she was inside the Encephalon and saw her father jump from the tower covered in flames. "But…I think I know. When I was born, Daddy died… If that vision was true, then what happened afterwards was…" MOMO winced at the memory as she began to cry some. "It's just like Mommy said. This is an abominable machine. If a lot of people died because of my birth, does that mean I'm an abomination as well, just like Daddy?

Jr. had followed the girls outside and looked at the pink-haired girl. "MOMO…"

"No! No parent could ever say that,'' Shion exclaimed. "Shion…?" "Even though you're a Realian, you're still their child, right? No parent would ever think of their own child as abominations. Surely… There can't be any…" Shane looked at her then nodded, holding MOMO's hands in her gloved ones. ''Shion has a point. Hell, my parents think I'm weird enough; just think what they'd say if I was saving an entire planet from a crazed lunatic!'' MOMO smiled softly and stood up with the silver-haired girl. Shion looked at the smiling young woman then looked down to see her hands shaking. _Shane...?_

After the emotional yet warm display Shane and MOMO had, the group moved onward to the cargo elevator. The group went down the elevator and fought enemies along the way, making it to the bottom floor. Shane glanced at the reactor room door as she reloaded her guns hurriedly. She nodded to the group, telling them that she was ready. The group walked through the reactor room doors and into the claws of Albedo.

_**Chapter 25: End**_


	26. What I've Kept Hidden

**Chapter Twenty-Six: What I've Kept Hidden**

You're late! I was about to give up on you, Rubedo,'' Albedo said in an excited voice. He grinned at Shane who had an angered look on her face. "Take a look. This thing has a full belly already." He pointed to the reactor's core as he jumped down to the floor where the group was. "Well then, what shall we do now? Shall we continue where we left off?" The white-haired man held out his arms, a red/green light eminating from his body.Jr.'s eyes widened at the light and stepped back. "Wh-what is that? Are you…how are you doing that…?" Albedo chuckled evilly. "Don't be so surprised; this is the power of will, a fundamental power that exists within everyone,'' he said. "What you are witnessing is simply your perception of it. And you know what? Perception and pain are but one and the same. So…go ahead… Feel my pain for yourself!" He sent a shockwave at everyone, sending them flying back against the door. KOS-MOS pulled out her blaster and fired off two rounds which hit him in the gut. He laughed, rehealing in the process. Albedo grabbed the blue-haired android's arm and threw her into Ziggy who was running at him for an attack.

''KOS-MOS!!'' Shion cried out then growled at the white-haired man. ''Take this!'' She moved her hand in front of her, blue letters written in a lost language as she seemingly grabbed the letters and put them on her red M.W.S. attached to her arm. She steadied herself and pointed the end at him. ''Spell Ray!'' She yelled, firing a powerful explosion which engulfed him. He turned to her as he held out his hand. ''Shion, look out!'' Shane yelled only to see Shion fly back into Jr. who caught her. The silver-haired girl rushed at him, shooting at Albedo and dodging his energy-based attacks. ''Kirschwasser Shane,'' he crooned. ''You came with Rubedo. Are you drawn to him like ma peche is?'' ''Like hell I'm drawn to that red-haired brat!'' Shane felt a cold chill run up her spine and jumped back from the white-haired psycho. She held her chest tightly, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

_The hell...? What's...wrong...with...me?_

''Heh. I do believe I've figured out what you are, Kirschwasser Shane,'' Albedo said walking over to her. He held out his hands as chaos' and MOMO's attacks bounced off him. ''You're similar to me and Rubedo, even ma peche for that matter. But tell me this...'' He kneeled down in front of her. ''Aren't you from Lost Jerusalem?'' Shion lifted herself off Jr. and looked to Shane. ''...Shane..is that true? Are you really from Lost Jerusalem?!'' The girl's golden eyes dimmed some then cried out in pain as Albedo brought her to her feet by her hair.

''Yes, the girl from Lost Jerusalem--our homeland that vanished!'' ''Albedo! Put her down right now!!'' Jr. yelled and shot him twice in the back. KOS-MOS rushed at him, kicking him in the back of the head. He dropped Shane as he growled lowly at the android. She managed to get away, tears streaming down her face. MOMO and chaos ran over to her. ''Shane--!'' ''Get back!!'' The pink-haired girl stopped as chaos knelt down beside the silver-haired girl. ''I lied...I've been lying to you from the start,'' she said through heart-wrenching sobs. ''All this...all of this is only a game in my world...''

''A game?'' MOMO asked as Shane nodded slowly. She watched Shion, KOS-MOS, Ziggy, and Jr. fight against Albedo then lowered her head. ''...Yeah...I was gonna tell you after all this but...'' chaos held her shoulder and smiled at her. ''You were only looking out for us, weren't you?'' Shane looked up at him as she nodded slowly. ''Yeah...'' With chaos' help she stood up watching as KOS-MOS delievered the final blow and knocking Albedo back against the reactor. "Answer me!" Jr. yelled at his white-haired counterpart. "Why are you doing this?! There's absolutely nothing you can hope to gain out of this." The white-haired man chuckled under his breath and looked up at him. "Au contraire. I…am doing all this…for your sake, Rubedo."

"For…my sake…?" "Have you forgotten, Rubedo? That fateful day, fourteen years ago… Have you forgotten what you did to us?!" The red-head tensed up as more of his haunted past came to light. "It's all because of you… Because you closed yourself off from us, our mental link was broken, and one after another, we succumbed to the power of the Song,'' Albedo said angrily. "Left behind in that horror, did we have any choice but to submit to it? Remember what happened…and repent for your sins!"

Jr. looked down at the floor, wincing at the pain at the memory where he emitted flames and knocked out the U.R.T.Vs. "It's true I… I mean…" The white-haired man laughed maniacally. "So you finally admit to it, you coward!" "All right, damn it! I couldn't control my fear!"

"Jr.…?" Shion looked to the boy who was shaking, his fists closed tightly and his head lowered. "Yes! And therefore, you must atone for your sins, atone with your life! I am the executor for all those who were destroyed! Although… I'm actually grateful to you, Rubedo. Thanks to you, I alone was able to find the way… The way to a whole new world." Jr. looked up at him with confused but angered eyes. "What do you mean, a whole new world?"

"That's all that I seek… It's quite simple. Don't you think?" Albedo asked him. "...What the hell are you talking about?" The white-haired man jumped up to the top of the reactor, laughing insanely. "At first I wasn't sure if I should believe… But I experienced something a moment ago that confirmed it… And this ought to verify that experience for me. Entertain me, if you will!" He said as the reactor opened up to reveal a hideous monster. The group was taken aback at the horror, Jr. narrowing his blue eyes. "Damn… You fused the Gnosis…with the reactor…?!"

"You must first destroy this in order to stop Proto Merkabah. You do realize that…'' Albedo looked at an imaginary watch on his left wrist then said, "Oh, almost forgot the time! Hmmmm, not much left nooow… I'd say five minutes, at best. I wonder how far you'll get in your current condition? Do you think your Kirschwasser is in any mood to fight?" He laughed maniacally. Shion looked back at Shane who looked pitful as she cried. _Shane...you didn't want to hurt us...but ended up hurting yourself... _"He's so cruel… He's tormenting Jr. and Shane just for fun… "

"Farewell. I'm sure we'll meet again, if you survive… Rubedo, my other half…and Kirschwasser Shane..." The white-haired man vanished as Jr. began to run after him. "Albedo!!" "Jr., look out!" MOMO yelled.

"Wha?!" The red-head ran headfirst into a barrier which sent him back against the floor. He looked up to see the monster coming out. "Damn it… We have to destroy this thing first!" Ziggy gripped both of his cybernetic hands tightly closed. "Right, this takes priority,'' he said. "Be careful, everyone! That's no longer just a machine!" chaos said as he went into a fighting stance. He looked to Shane. "All right! Let's do it, KOS-MOS!" "Affirmative. Switching to maximum output for all combat systems,'' the blue-haired android said as she switched to maximum output mode. ''Shane, please stand and fight..'' ''...I can't,'' she said. ''When and if we defeat this thing...I'll disappear! I wanna stay here with you guys! I--!''

''You have a family back home, don't you?'' Jr. said as he looked back at her. ''They're waiting on ya, right?'' She looked down, gripping her fists. ''Yeah, of course they are...but what's the point if they don't even care about me?!'' In Shane's mind, Rukia slapped her across the face. _You idiot! Of course they care! Didn't you see in the Encephalon?! _She held her face as she watched the others fight against the monster she knew as Sophie Peithos. _Yeah, but...they act like nothing's a big deal...it's like I'm not even there_, Shane said to Rukia. _Why don't you talk to your Mom when you get back, then?_

''...Yeah.'' The silver-haired girl pointed her gun at the monster and smiled.

_Bang._

**Chapter 26: End**_ (Mrr...exciting chapter, ne?)_


	27. In The End, What Does It Matter?

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: In The End, What Does It Matter?**

_If only I could say a few words..._

_...But they would only echo in the back of everyone's minds like I'm not even there. That's when I thought about my wish: What if I vanished or if I died? What would everyone think of me then? Probably stupid or she ran away because of her life._

_If they cared..._

* * *

Shane watched Sophie Peithos as both Shion and KOS-MOS delivered the final blow, screeching in pain and began to react. The group saw this and ran to the doors. "We'll be caught in the explosion! We have to get out of here quickly!" Shion yelled as the group ran to the elevator, making their way back up to the surface area. Then everyone looked to hear low rumbling which made Shion lose her balance and fall to the floor. Ziggy looked around then asked aloud, "What was that rumbling?" "More explosions…?" MOMO said. Shane helped the Vector employee off the floor as she glanced up at the ceiling.

"No. It's faint, but it feels like we're changing directions."

"Shion," KOS-MOS began. "I have confirmation of ignition in the Proto Merkabah's propulsion units. It is descending toward Second Miltia now." Shion looked to the blue-haired android with a shocked look on her face. "KOS-MOS, are you sure?!" "Yes. Should its descent continue at present speed, we will enter the atmosphere in approximately eight minutes."

"Looks like he planned this from the very beginning,'' the blonde cyborg said to everyone. Jr. slammed his fist against the wall, growling. "That bastard! He's got too many tricks up his sleeve…" "We have to do something… If something as large as the impacts at full speed, Second Miltia will be…" KOS-MOS turned to Shion then said, "Based on the current angle of approach, breaking up the facility into approximately 28,000 pieces would result in 99.6 of them vaporizing before impact."

"If we detach each sub-compartment?" ''Like a jigsaw puzzle, right?'' Shane asked as Shion nodded some. "Just a second. I'll search through my memory banks." MOMO closed her eyes and searched through her memory. "The control room,'' she said, opening her eyes. "The control room on level 33 will allow us to detach the facility!"

"Hurry! There's no time!" chaos yelled as the group ran to the control room. Shane held her head, the same splitting headache she had when she was healing on the Elsa. _My time...is close, I can feel it..!

* * *

_Inside the control room, MOMO ran over to the console and activated it. She gasped. "Oh, no!" "Is there a problem?" Ziggy asked the pink-haired girl. She looked back at him, a worried look on her face. "The entire process from system startup to complete detachment takes one whole minute." she said. "That's not enough time for us to return to the Elsa!"

"Is this the only place we can activate it from? We can't do it remotely?"

MOMO shook her head frantically. "No! This system was built so that the command will only be accepted from here." Jr. looked down, gripping his fists tightly. "Damn…So the only way to stop this thing is to go down with it?"

Shion felt her knees buckle, shaking her head slowly. "This can't be… There has to be another way…" "There isn't! I've searched again and again, but we can only activate it from here!" KOS-MOS looked to everyone then at the console behind MOMO. "Please head back now,'' she ordered. "What…KOS-MOS?"

The blue-haired android looked at Shion's face. "Shion, please return to the Elsa with the others. I will stay behind to initiate the detachment sequence." "Wait a second! Stay behind…?" The brown-haired woman asked, obviously shocked. "This facility will enter the atmosphere shortly. We will exceed the tolerances for maximum temperature in three minutes 28 seconds. Please hurry."

"But…"

"My self-preservation programming is functioning properly. I have no intention of remaining on this facility to the very end. Do not worry. At maximum speed, I can reach the Elsa in under one minute,'' KOS-MOS assured to everyone. "You're sure?" Ziggy asked her. She nodded. "Yes. This option guarantees the highest probability of success."

"All right. Let's go, Shion!"

"But,'' Shion looked to KOS-MOS. "Trust her, it'll be okay! She'll catch up! Now come on!" The others turned and ran out of the control room. MOMO looked back to Shane and Shion. "Shion! Shane! We have to go!''

"Shion, Shane..." The silver-haired girl placed her hand on the brown-haired woman's shoulder as she looked back and nodded. The two women walked to the control room doors then looked back to KOS-MOS. "KOS-MOS! You better make it back! You hear me? You better!"

* * *

As everyone ran back to the dock where the Elsa was, the area began to shake and collaspe down on each other. "Hurry! This area will soon collapse!" Ziggy said as he looked around the area. The others ran back into the cargo ship but Shion and Shane stayed near the entrance door. At the bridge, Jr. ran inside and yelled, "Matthews!" The captain looked back at the red-head, a worried but panicky look on his face. "Little Master?! What's all this shaking?! What the hell's goin' on?" "Proto Merkabah's about to re-enter the atmosphere,'' he told him. "If left unchecked, we'll crash into the planet…"

"Whaaat?!" Jr. held up his hand at him. "But don't worry, we detached all the sub-compartments and that's what's causing the shaking. Anyway, we'll get to the detail later! Prepare for immediate liftoff!" Captain Matthews looked at him, confused. "Prepare? We're not lifting off right now?" "KOS-MOS is still inside. We gotta wait for her!"

"Whaa?! Wait a minute! If it's already detaching, then aren't we in danger…?"

"I'm aware of that! But if I say we wait, we wait!" Allen looked up at the window then gasped. "Captain! Up there!" "What?!" The ship shook as debris fell on the right side of the Elsa, making everyone cry out in surprise. Tony looked back at Captain Matthews with a worried look on his face. "Captain! We can't stay much longer!"

"No kidding! Little Master!" Jr. bit his bottom lip. "Damn it… What's taking her… Come on…come on…" Everyone cried out again as the area began to collapse even harder. "Captainnn…!" The blonde pilot whined. "Little Master!!" The red-head groaned then looked back at Captain Matthews. "All right, all right! Lift off!" He ordered, his voice sounding uneasy.

Shane looked outside, waiting for KOS-MOS with Shion. She felt the tremors but stayed where she was. Damnit, KOS-MOS, hurry up! She thought. She looked to the brown-haired woman who had a look of worry on her face. ''..It'll be okay. I bet KOS-MOS is on her way here right now--'' The sound of the Elsa starting its engines cut Shane off. ''Wha..?! We can't!'' "Captain, no!" Shion cried out. "Wait!!" The two women stumbled back as the bridge and dock collapsed. Captain Matthews leaned back against his chair, sighing in relief. "That was close…" Shion stood back up with a small groan of pain and grabbed onto the doorway as the Elsa takes off.

_"KOS-MOS!"_

**Chapter 27: End

* * *

**As I was writing this, I was listening to Linkin Park's In the End and What I've Done. Pretty awesome songs, if ya ask me. R & R!


	28. Heavenly Descent

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Heavenly Descent**

Shane leaned against the wall as the headache from before began to get worse. She felt sick, not from the Elsa's sudden takeoff, but from the nervousness of her disappearing. She looked to Shion as she pressed the intercom button with tears in her eyes. **"**Captain, please go back!" She yelled. "KOS-MOS is still inside!" "Are you crazy?!" He replied. "You wanna get caught in that?! We're leaving, now!"

"You can't…!" _KOS-MOS, she's still inside..._

_Don't be afraid, Shion… Everything will be all right… See with your heart_, Nephilim's voice told her, echoing in the brown-haired woman's mind. "See…with my heart…" Shion closed her eyes, placing a hand over her heart. She gasped as she saw a partial image of KOS-MOS running towards the the cargo ship. She placed her hand on the intercom button again. "Captain! The wall! 400 meters to the port side! Take her in close!"

"What?!" The captain exclaimed.

"Trust me, hurry!"

"What do you mean, hurry?"

"Shion! Port side, 400 meters, right?!" Tony yelled back at her. "Tony!" "Huh? Tony?!" The blonde pilot moved the cargo ship 400 meters to the port side as the wall burst, KOS-MOS jumping out of the wall. "KOS-MOS!!'' Shane and Shion yelled. The brown-haired woman reached over, grabbing KOS-MOS' right arm as she tried to hold as tight as she can. The android's arm was slipping from her hands. ''No...KOS-MOS! Shane, help me!'' The girl stood up and ran over to Shion, grabbing onto KOS-MOS' arm. Just as the two women lost their gripping on the android's arm, Ziggy ran over to them and grabbed KOS-MOS' right arm and held onto it tight.

"Ziggy?!'' The two women exclaimed. He looked to them then pulled KOS-MOS into the Elsa as the ship took off and flew away. Shane laid on her back, breathing heavily. ''Geez, KOS-MOS...'' Shion looked to the blue-haired android and smiled, a few tears in her eyes. "KOS-MOS…I really ought to put you on a diet!" She said as she looked at her without a word.

"Thank goodness…" Shion hugged KOS-MOS lovingly who looked at the wall.

--

The cargo ship flew at high speeds towards the escape tunnel while in the next tunnel, several amounts of debris were crashing down on them. Captain Matthews looked to Tony with a frantic look on his face. "Tony!'' The blonde pilot increased the speed. ''I'm going for it!'' He yelled, dodging the debris and finally escaped from Proto Merkabah. Outside in outer space, the ship began to act up. Inside, all the areas were lit up with red lights.

''Huh?'' Shane looked up at the lights. "Something's wrong,'' Ziggy said to the girls. "…Let's get to the bridge."

--

As the cyborg and the 3 women came onto the bridge, everyone was in a panic. Alarms were going off loudly which made Shane cover her ears. "What was that?! I can't hear you!" The captain said in a loud voice. "Like I said, the angle of approach is too steep!"

"Well, can't you adjust it?!" Tony shook his head, looking back at the captain. "It's no use! The controls aren't responding!" "That can't be! All control functions are in the green!" Hammer exclaimed typing hurriedly at the console. "The apogee and reentry balancers were damaged by the debris! We can't adjust the Logical Drive angle any further than this!"

"Ya moron! Stop whining and do something about it! You wanna be vaporized?!" Matthews yelled at them in a worried voice. Outside, the Elsa decended down to Second Miltia uncontrollably..

**Chapter 28: End

* * *

Sorry if the next 2 chapters seem short...my bad. **


	29. Memory of Lightwaves

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Memory of Lightwaves**

Everyone on the bridge watched the crew as they tried to fix the descent of the Elsa. Shane gripped her fists tightly. "External hull temperature exceeding maximum limit!" Hammer exclaimed. The silver-haired girl looked to everyone: MOMO held onto Jr. while the red-head held her protectively, Shion had her hand over her mouth, Allen typing hurriedly on the console that chaos sat at. She looked around. ''Wait...''

Where was chaos?

--

In the hangar, chaos stood by himself as he looked to his gloved fists._What will you do? _He heard Nephilim's voice say in his inner thoughts. That's when the white-haired young man heard the sound of the elevator and looked back. KOS-MOS walked off the elevator, walking past him and looking straight ahead. "You're…? Wait!" He reached for her.

"Relinquish your pain…unto me,'' she said slowly as she left the hanger. Back on the bridge, a warning came onto Hammer's console screen. His eyes widened. "The aft hatch…it's open!" He yelled. "What?! Who's the moron doing that?! Is he trying to burn all of us from the inside out?!" Shion looked around then gasped. "It can't be…?!" She looked up at the monitor as the camera outside showed KOS-MOS floating to the Elsa's rooftops.

"KOS-MOS! You can't…!"

"Shion, I will proceed to shield the Elsa with my energy shield,'' the android said in her monotone voice. "Please stabilize the ship during that time." The brown-haired woman shook her head frantically, watching the android position herself at the front of the ship. "Don't be ridiculous! What can you possibly accomplish by doing that?!"

"Do not worry. Maintaining this position for one minute and 20 seconds will save the Elsa."

"But you'll be incinerated if you do that! Stop this at once!" KOS-MOS held out her arms, blue hair billowing around her. "I am happy…to be of service." She said finally as the outside cameras were incinerated from the heat. "External cameras destroyed!" Tony yelled.

"KOS-MOS!! Please, KOS-MOS!! Please stoooop!!" Outside, KOS-MOS' headgear came off as she activated her energy shield. She looked up, her red eyes now blue. Bright lights appeared in the Elsa as everything turned bright. Everyone shielded their eyes. Shane felt a warm sensation run through her, her hands glowing a blue light. _Is it that time already? _She thought to herself.

_No, just...a little bit longer..._

The bright light soon dimmed down as the Elsa made it safely in Second Miltia. They flew across an open sea, the sun rising from the waters. Everyone let out a sigh of relief but Shion held her face in her hands. "Are we...okay?'' Captain Matthews used the console to lower his seat and stood up, taking his red cap off. Shane looked to Shion them looked outside.

''...Shion..?''

"H-hey! Ms. Vector!'' Shion lifted her tear-soaked face up, looking at the captain and Shane. ''...Huh?'' The silver-haired girl helped her up to her feet. Captain Matthews turned to Hammer. ''Activate the secondary bow camera!'' The navigator looked at him then nodded. ''Roger!'' He brought up a monitor onto the large screen as everyone eyes widened. Shane smiled to see KOS-MOS standing on the Elsa, her blue hair waving. She looked like a heroine in the light.

"KOS-MOS...'' Shion began to cry again, but this time they were tears of happiness. ''KOS-MOS...!" MOMO walked over to Shion and held her hand. Shane looked away as she tried not to cry. ''Geez, this part always got to me...''

**Chapter 29: End

* * *

****This isn't the last chapter, just so you know.**


	30. Fighting Dreamer

**Chapter Thirty: Fighting Dreamer**

"Judging from the circumstances, it's clear that the U-TIC Organization's target is on Miltia,'' Gaignun said to Helmer on his communications monitor. He stood near his desk in his office and looked out the window. "Ah, Miltia…" "There's a vortex of temptation…and obsession that still remains. That's what continues to draw them in. And Albedo… He's being drawn in just the same.''

"Albedo?! You mean, the U.R.T.V. Albedo? …He's still alive?" Helmer asked in disbelief. The dark-haired man shook his head slowly. "He will not die… Not until that time arrives…" _But still..._ He narrowed his eyes some and saw the image of a red-haired girl about 12 years of age. _There's her..._

--

In the deep reaches of outer space, E.S Simeon flew through the stars. Inside, Albedo chuckled to himself. "Now, that was entertaining…All that remains is for ma pêche to link up with the U.M.N., and my objective will be complete,'' he said evilly. He closed his eyes as he started to activate the boosters. "Do heed my message, Rubedo…and I sense that our ''sister'' will be coming back!'' He laughed maniacally, taking off with his A.W.M.S. into deep-space.

--

"We've confirmed a gate-jump by Albedo's craft,'' a man wearing a red hood said. "This is acceptable?" He turned to a silver-haired man with pale skin and red eyes as he sat at a semi-circular desk with his chin on his hands. "Yes, that's fine,'' he told him. "The door that leads to Abel's Ark…He is the only one who can open it."

"There's a possibility that he may link with U-DO again…" The red hooded man watched the other man shake his head. "That won't happen. He doesn't have that much power. He's only a key. Of course, we must accept the possibility that he can affect space-time anomalies to some extent… But that's what all of you are for. Still… His will shines with such wondrous light. It's a shame to relegate him to such a minor role…" The silver-haired man smiled softly.

"Don't you think…?"

--

''Come on, this way!''

''Shane, we know where the elevator is! Calm down!'' The group (save chaos) ran to the elevator, nearly pushing each other off it. Shion started the elevator as the group rode up to where KOS-MOS was, the light nearly blinding them. Shane looked at the blue-haired android and could have sworn that she saw Rukia. KOS-MOS turned her head to look back at everyone. Her sensors focused on Shion.

"Mission complete, Shion,'' she said in her monotone voice. The Vector employee gripped the railing then smiled softly. She was glad to see KOS-MOS okay. "Welcome back...'' The silver-haired girl moved through everyone and jumped over the railing. ''Guess that's my cue.''

''Wait, Shane, what are you--'' Shion looked to the girl's gloved hand to see it had become transparent. ''Shane...'' She turned around and began walking backwards. ''I told you...I was gonna disappear. I'm going back home.''

''But, Shane...'' She looked to MOMO, smiling. ''You be good, okay?'' She stopped, standing next to KOS-MOS. ''Thanks for everything, you guys,'' she told them. ''And I'm sorry for not telling you the truth at first...'' Shane looked to the android and placed her hand on her shoulder. ''Take care of Shion, will ya?'' ''Understood,'' KOS-MOS told her. ''Oi, Shane!'' The silver-haired girl looked to Jr. ''You...you better come back! You hear?!'' MOMO looked to him and nodded. ''Come back, okay?'' The girl smiled then turned around.

''I'll try to...and take care...'' She broke out into a run as she jumped off the ship. The wind hit her face, the water coming towards her fast. _Rukia...you better do something!_ A small laugh echoed in Shane's mind. _Don't worry..._ The next thing Shane knew, she slammed head first into the water.

--

''OH GOD, I'M GONNA FUCKING DROWN!!'' Shane shot up from her hospital bed, breathing heavily. She looked around the room to see it was the same room from the Encephalon. She took out the I.V.s from her arms and the oxygen mask from her face. I'm back...? She climbed out of bed then walked over to a mirror on the wall. Her black hair and brown eyes were back to normal. ''Oh man...''

''Shane?!'' She looked to the doorway to see her mother with short black hair and glasses wearing a white shirt and blue jeans standing there. ''...Momma?'' Her mother walked over to her slowly then hugged her tightly. ''Oh my god...my baby, you're alright!'' She wrapped her arms around her mother, crying softly. ''I'm sorry, Momma...I'm sorry for everything...'' ''It's alright...at least you're okay...'' Mother and daughter didn't notice the other relatives walking into the room and gasping to see Shane awake after 6 weeks being in a coma.

2 weeks after Shane was released and went through therapy, she got back to her life in her ''normal'' way. She went to school and dreaded it. She drew in her notebook constantly while listening to Evanescence in the process. She talked with friends on her cell phone and slept whenever she saw the chance. She even spent more time with her mother, father, and hellish little sister. For a gift after recovering and therapy, her mother bought her _Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose_.

''Mom, I love you so much!'' She hugged her mother tightly, which shocked her and ran to her room. She sat down on her bed then looked at the cover. Shane turned it over onto the back as a small smirk came across her face. She looked up at her dresser to show Rukia in the mirror in her place.

''Ready to kick some Gnosis ass?'' The red-head asked.

''You know it.''

**Chapter 30: End -- To Be Continued...**


End file.
